The term “autointoxication” should properly be restricted to conditions where poison arises from changes in the tissues or in the activities of cells or organs, whereby substances are released into the circulation in quantities harmful to the organism; in other words, where the secretions of the body are altered, either in character or quantity, to such a degree as to cause injurious effects, such as overactivity or underactivity of the thyroid gland, or suprarenal gland.
The poison from undigested food, or from decomposing intestinal contents, should be termed “intestinal intoxication,” or “toxæmia,” rather than “autointoxication,” or “self-poisoning,” as it is actually due to infection from outside sources. Intestinal toxemia is, no doubt, a fairly frequent cause of illness, but it has lately been shown that stagnant bowels may cause true infection by micro-organisms that penetrate the tissues, and that many conditions ascribed to intestinal stagnation and the resultant chemical poisoning may actually be due to focal infection, or subinfection, arising in other regions.
The light that has lately been thrown on chronic sources of focal infection has cleared up many of the mysteries surrounding the causation of certain obscure affections—chronic rheumatism, arthritis deformans, certain forms of anemia, goitre, chronic heart and kidney troubles, diabetes, ulcer of the stomach, duodenum, etc., and other forms of chronic disease, especially those that have proved resistant to known methods of treatment.
Lowered Resistance
There are many cases where the so-called focus has apparently become established because of general bodily neglect and a general lowering of resistance, in which the focus, even though it be the mouth, has participated, and permitted the successful activities of germs or parasites. After the focus has been established, however, it is often an important and may be a deciding factor in keeping up the general diseased condition of the body.
This principle of focal infection, well established as it is, should not be accepted too literally, or given too wide an application, but no one can question the importance of preventing the bacterial hosts of the mouth from getting into the system, or the importance of getting them out, if we have unwarily permitted them to enter.
All the ills that flesh is heir to are not caused by mouth-infection, but enough of them are to more than justify a vigorous and world-wide campaign for the better care of the teeth and for a thorough search for mouth-infection in every case of obscure disease.
Keeping the Mouth Aseptic
Over-dentistried Teeth
Gum infection is not always due to conscious neglect. Some people do not know how to properly cleanse the teeth. Others have tissues of low resistance, and need to give extra care to tooth- and gum-cleansing under the closest dental supervision. Others have spent large sums for dental work that has filled the mouth with crowns and bridges difficult to keep aseptic or surgically clean. There are various means which the individual can use to prevent or cure these dental evils.