Heroic restoration

One of the best things about letters to the editor is the opportunity they present for readers to give credit where credit is due.

Today I’d like to heap praise on the new owners of the historic Rutherglen house in Whitby Rd for the magnificent way they are restoring part of our city’s heritage. As anyone who has been on The Haven and looked back at the hills knows, Rutherglen is a special place and we would all have been left the poorer for its loss. It was apparent from Sally Kidson’s recent story that its owners do not seek public recognition but, as the former reporter who broke the story of the last owner’s plans to demolish the house, I want to publicly thank them for what they are doing. It is nothing short of heroic. (April 19 ) the fluoride chemicals used in water are a Class 6 toxin. A chemical’s toxicity is measured in two ways (i) acute toxicity: the dose of a chemical that if ingested in one sitting can cause immediate harm ie, poisoning or death (ii) chronic toxicity: the dose of a chemical that while safe if ingested once, can cause harm if ingested over a long period of time.

Our concern is chronic toxicity. Understanding the difference between concentration and dose is important.

Concentration is the amount of fluoride in water. Dose is the amount of fluoride you receive from a combination of sources, water, food, toothpaste, beverages, mouthwash and pharmaceutical drugs. Professor Paul Connett’s book The Case Against Fluoride - How Hazardous Waste Ended Up In Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics that Keep It There is a must read for anyone wishing to inform themselves on fluoride. Paul Connett, Professor Emeritus at St Lawrence University lectured in environmental chemistry and toxicology. Water fluoridation is based on the unsound premise that ‘‘one size fits all.’’