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134 HISTORY OF DENTAL SURGERY

jiKlge, and a partial finding was made against the dentist. This ease was then taken
by the association to the United States circuit court of appeals for the second circuit,
and by it sent to the supreme court of the United States upon the question as to whether
or not any federal judge had the power to so compel an examination of any dentist in
this manner.
The supreme court of the United States reversed the trial judge and decided that
"in no patent case in an action at law can any dentist in this country be compelled,
antecedent to the trial, to appear before any court official and be subjected to any ques-
tioning whatever regarding his practice or his patients."
The proposition laid down by the federal judge in New York, namely:
"The practice of examining before trial under the New York practice, is the
most wholesome one; it tends to simplification of the trial and frequently leads
to settlement out of court," was ])rol)!ibly correct, in the sense that the case
would be simplified by such proceeding, and that a settlement without trial
might be reached. But tliat the results under this New York code would inure
to the securing of justice or ecjuity is not so certain. The editorial continues:
We wish here to compliment the members who did act thus loyally and allow this
question to be finally settled, as it has been in the supreme court of the United States,
and who thus aided in annulling a practice which was harsh, vicious and indefensible.
We have been quiet about this litigation and this point, but will now frankly con-
fess that if we had not succeeded in defeating this ruling the protective association
would have been powerless to have aided its members in assaults made upon them under
this practice. As the matter stands, however, every dentist in the United States has
great cause for congratulation.
It is no disparity to otliers to state that the master mind that was ever
watchful during the struggle that ensued between the American Dental Pro-
tective Association, and associated and other efforts against parties who were
determined to wring unjust contributions from tlie members of tlie dental
profession, under the guise of privileges granted by United States patents,
was Dr. John N. Crouse. To his pugnacious persistency, loyalty and ability the
dental profession in this country is indebted for its liberation, and for the free-
dom from similar impositions, it now enjoys.

DENTISTRY IN ARMIES AND NAVIES.

While the French admiralty prior to our Revolution required that their
navy surgeons should have a knowledge of dentistry, as it was at that time
understood, together with that of medicine and general surgery, the first
effort to supply an army with the services of men to look particularly after