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HISTORY OF DENTAL SUEGERY 141
This bill was presented to congress with the approval of the secretary of war,
and after a determined and practically undivided effort upon the part of the
whole profession and the friends of the measure in congress, covering a period
of about two years, it was finally passed and approved on February 2, 1901.
The bill as it passed the house of representatives and the senate became a
part of the bill to "Reorganize the Army," and incorporated in Section IS ou
reorganization of the medical department, of which the dental section is a?
follows
Provided, That the surgeon-general of the army, with the approval of the sei'retary
of war, be, and is hereby, authorized to employ dental surgeons to serve the officers
and enlisted men of the regular and volunteer army, in the proportion of not to ex-
ceed one for every 1,000 of said army, and not exceeding thirty in all. Said dental
surgeons shall be employed as contract dental surgeons under the terms and con-
ditions applicable to army contract surgeons, and shall be graduates of standard mecK-
cal or dental colleges, trained in the several branches of dentistry, of good moral
and professional character, and shall pass a satisfactory professional examination;
Provided, That three of the number of dental surgeons to be employed shall be
first appointed by the surgeon-general, with the approval of the secretary of war,
with refei-ence to their fitness for assignment under the direction of the surgeon-
general to the special service of conducting the examinations and supervising the opera-
tions of the others and for such special service an extra compensation of sixty dollars
a month will be allowed;
Provided further. That dental college graduates now em|)loyed in the hospital
corps, who have been detailed for a period of not less than twelve mouths to render
dental service to the army, and who are shown by the reports of their superior officers
to have rendered such service satisfactorily, nmy be appointed contract dental surgeons
without examination.
The passage of this measure gave to the army of the United States of
America the first corps of military dental surgeons ever attached to an army
in the history of the world, and brought scientific dental treatment within
the reach of the common soldier ''without money and witliont price." Xo act
of congress was ever received by the officers and enlisted men of the army
with greater gratitude, nor has been more highly appreciated liy tliem, than
the attaching of dental surgeons to the medical department of tlie army.
Although the provisions of this bill were not satisfactory to the profession
in general, particularly that section which provided that the dental surgeons
should be ''employed under contract," it was thought best to strive for its
passage in this form rather than cause its defeat by insisting upon a com-
missioned status for the corps. The main idea at tliis time was to succeed in
establishing a dental corps for the army, that the suffering of our soldiers
HISTORY OF DENTAL SUEGERY 141
This bill was presented to congress with the approval of the secretary of war,
and after a determined and practically undivided effort upon the part of the
whole profession and the friends of the measure in congress, covering a period
of about two years, it was finally passed and approved on February 2, 1901.
The bill as it passed the house of representatives and the senate became a
part of the bill to "Reorganize the Army," and incorporated in Section IS ou
reorganization of the medical department, of which the dental section is a?
follows
Provided, That the surgeon-general of the army, with the approval of the sei'retary
of war, be, and is hereby, authorized to employ dental surgeons to serve the officers
and enlisted men of the regular and volunteer army, in the proportion of not to ex-
ceed one for every 1,000 of said army, and not exceeding thirty in all. Said dental
surgeons shall be employed as contract dental surgeons under the terms and con-
ditions applicable to army contract surgeons, and shall be graduates of standard mecK-
cal or dental colleges, trained in the several branches of dentistry, of good moral
and professional character, and shall pass a satisfactory professional examination;
Provided, That three of the number of dental surgeons to be employed shall be
first appointed by the surgeon-general, with the approval of the secretary of war,
with refei-ence to their fitness for assignment under the direction of the surgeon-
general to the special service of conducting the examinations and supervising the opera-
tions of the others and for such special service an extra compensation of sixty dollars
a month will be allowed;
Provided further. That dental college graduates now em|)loyed in the hospital
corps, who have been detailed for a period of not less than twelve mouths to render
dental service to the army, and who are shown by the reports of their superior officers
to have rendered such service satisfactorily, nmy be appointed contract dental surgeons
without examination.
The passage of this measure gave to the army of the United States of
America the first corps of military dental surgeons ever attached to an army
in the history of the world, and brought scientific dental treatment within
the reach of the common soldier ''without money and witliont price." Xo act
of congress was ever received by the officers and enlisted men of the army
with greater gratitude, nor has been more highly appreciated liy tliem, than
the attaching of dental surgeons to the medical department of tlie army.
Although the provisions of this bill were not satisfactory to the profession
in general, particularly that section which provided that the dental surgeons
should be ''employed under contract," it was thought best to strive for its
passage in this form rather than cause its defeat by insisting upon a com-
missioned status for the corps. The main idea at tliis time was to succeed in
establishing a dental corps for the army, that the suffering of our soldiers
