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Fluorine in Plant and Animal Growth
The presence of fluorine in the igneous rocks of the earth's surface, in an amount about equal to that of phosphorus, namely, one part per one thousand, has made it quite universally available for plant and animal growth. Its extreme toxicity, even in great dilution, has been prevented from doing harm by its very low solubility in water, namely, thirty-seven parts per million, for CaF. Even a small fraction of this concentration, when present in the drinking water, greatly disturbs normal tooth and bone development, producing the unsightly disfigurement of brown stain and mottled enamel. This curses the people living in the districts having an affected water supply. It may ruin the teeth of grazing animals, by making them so brittle that they break off. Camels, sheep, cows, goats, donkeys and horses are seriously affected in a North African district, thus making them unable to pasture.