The teeth are a fruitful source of suffering and of disease; and are,
with truth, styled "our first and our last plagues." Dentition is the
most important period of a child's life, and is the exciting cause of
many infantile diseases; during this period, therefore, he requires
constant and careful watching. When we consider how the teeth elongate
and enlarge in his gums, pressing on the nerves and on the surrounding
parts, and thus how frequently they produce pain, irritation, and
inflammation; when we further contemplate what sympathy there is in
the nervous system, and how susceptible the young are to pain, no
surprise can be felt, at the immense disturbance, and the consequent
suffering and danger frequently experienced by children while cutting
their _first_ set of teeth. The complaints or the diseases induced by
dentition are numberless, affecting almost every organ of the
body,--the _brain_, occasioning convulsions, water on the brain, &c.;
the _lungs_, producing congestion, inflammation, cough, &c.; the
_stomach_, exciting sickness, flatulence, acidity, &c,; the _bowels_,
inducing griping, at one time costiveness, and at another time
purging; the _skin_, causing "breakings-out."

To prevent these diseases, means ought to be used to invigorate a
child's constitution by plain, wholesome food, as recommended under
the article of diet; by exercise and fresh air; [Footnote: The young
of animals seldom suffer from cutting their teeth--and what is the
reason? Because they live in the open air, and take plenty of
exercise; while children are frequently cooped up in close rooms, and
are not allowed the free use of their limbs. The value of fresh air
is well exemplified in the Registrar-General's Report for 1843; he
says that in 1,000,000 deaths, from all diseases, 616 occur in the
town from teething while 120 only take place in the country from the