PubMed · 292730
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C A Palmer. 1979. Fomenting a second revolution.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/292730/
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An exercise in "historical ontology," this paper charts the contrasting ways fluoridated water and its effects crystallized as objects of knowledge and concern in three quite different realms over the mid twentieth century. Among U.S. health officials and experts, fluoridated water emerged and stabilized as a public health goal, preventing tooth decay. Indian doctors and scientists defined it as a public health problem, causing "skeletal fluorosis." Fluoridated water also acquired an intense presence among laypeople in the United States, especially those voting in local referenda on fluoridation. More often than not rejecting it, suspecting bias and myopia in profluoridation expertise, they cobbled together a lay ontology that proved predictive of the varied and changing flows of fluoridated water itself. The paper concludes by suggesting a principle of environmental symmetry as an aid to this kind of comparative ontology.
OBJECTIVE: There is much controversy over the fluoridation of community water supplies. This study surveyed the informational content of internet sites on the World Wide Web (WWW) regarding water fluoridation. METHODS: One hundred websites were identified and 59 were evaluated with a 6 point scoring system using predetermined criteria. RESULTS: Of these 59 sites, 54% recommend water fluoridation as compared to 31% that oppose it. CONCLUSIONS: The informational content of WWW sites may range from factual, to unsubstantiated opinions, to frank fraud. However, this information is presented to the public indiscriminately. The informational content of the WWW contains varied views and recommendations for community water supply fluoridation. Public health officials and practicing physicians should be aware that the internet WWW may influence public opinion.
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