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HISTORY OF DENTAL SUEGERY 135
the teeth of the soldiers was made by England. According to the May
number of the British Journal of Dental Science for 1857, the medical
director general of the British army in an official report made the following
recommendation
Among the improvements in the conservative surgery, not the least remarkable
and important is the successful application of mechanical ingenuity and skill, where-
by the necessity formerly considered almost imperative, for the extraction of teeth
affected with caries have been in a great measure averted. ยป * * x am, therefore,
most anxious that all military medical officers should give the subject their best atten-
tion, as I am of opinion that a considerable gain to the service, besides comfort to
individuals, would occur from the practice of dental surgery iu the army to a greater
extent than that which has hitherto obtained in military life.
Dental surgery in the army will, I feel convinced, if carefully practiced, exercise
not only an important influence on the efficiency of regiments; will obviate the neces-
sity of having recourse to the forceps in numerous cases, and will add to the comfort
and health of the soldiers.
In 1859 Dr. McKellops of St. Louis, introduced a resolution in the Ameri-
can Dental Convention which resulted in the appointment of a committee to
memorialize congress "on the necessity of appointing dentists to be attached
to the regular army; and that we recommend the matter to the consideration
of the general government."' What work the committee which was appointed
in this direction did, if any, does not appear, but it has been alleged with
great authority that Jefferson Davis, while secretary of war of the United
States, made an effort to employ dentists for the army. Possibly he would
have succeeded in the accomplishment of this undertaking had not other cares
and concerns, in another field, absorbed his attention.
On December 29, 1869, the Georgia State Dental Society at its annual
meeting in Savannah adopted the following:
Resolved: That this society instruct their delegates to the American and Southern
Dental Association to request said association to appoint dentists in the army and
navy of the United States.
This resolution was presented by Dr. F. Y. Clark of Savannah, Georgia,
who based some of his arguments upon experiences gained in the war between
the States. He said
"When the steamer 'Water Witch' was captured and the prisoners brought
to Savannah, we learned that there was a dentist among the numl)er and that
lie had quite a supply of materials. From this we were led to believe tliat our
profession was recognized by the government and that dentists were appointed
in the army and nav^'. Shortly after, however, when General Sherman and
:
HISTORY OF DENTAL SUEGERY 135
the teeth of the soldiers was made by England. According to the May
number of the British Journal of Dental Science for 1857, the medical
director general of the British army in an official report made the following
recommendation
Among the improvements in the conservative surgery, not the least remarkable
and important is the successful application of mechanical ingenuity and skill, where-
by the necessity formerly considered almost imperative, for the extraction of teeth
affected with caries have been in a great measure averted. ยป * * x am, therefore,
most anxious that all military medical officers should give the subject their best atten-
tion, as I am of opinion that a considerable gain to the service, besides comfort to
individuals, would occur from the practice of dental surgery iu the army to a greater
extent than that which has hitherto obtained in military life.
Dental surgery in the army will, I feel convinced, if carefully practiced, exercise
not only an important influence on the efficiency of regiments; will obviate the neces-
sity of having recourse to the forceps in numerous cases, and will add to the comfort
and health of the soldiers.
In 1859 Dr. McKellops of St. Louis, introduced a resolution in the Ameri-
can Dental Convention which resulted in the appointment of a committee to
memorialize congress "on the necessity of appointing dentists to be attached
to the regular army; and that we recommend the matter to the consideration
of the general government."' What work the committee which was appointed
in this direction did, if any, does not appear, but it has been alleged with
great authority that Jefferson Davis, while secretary of war of the United
States, made an effort to employ dentists for the army. Possibly he would
have succeeded in the accomplishment of this undertaking had not other cares
and concerns, in another field, absorbed his attention.
On December 29, 1869, the Georgia State Dental Society at its annual
meeting in Savannah adopted the following:
Resolved: That this society instruct their delegates to the American and Southern
Dental Association to request said association to appoint dentists in the army and
navy of the United States.
This resolution was presented by Dr. F. Y. Clark of Savannah, Georgia,
who based some of his arguments upon experiences gained in the war between
the States. He said
"When the steamer 'Water Witch' was captured and the prisoners brought
to Savannah, we learned that there was a dentist among the numl)er and that
lie had quite a supply of materials. From this we were led to believe tliat our
profession was recognized by the government and that dentists were appointed
in the army and nav^'. Shortly after, however, when General Sherman and
