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HISTORY OF DENTAL SUEGERY 273

Cliapin A. Harris, m 1839, said: "The kinds of teeth used are, human,
neat cattle, ivory and porcelain.
"During the last four years I have used almost exclusively mineral teeth
manufactured by Stockton of Philadelphia.
"Teetli are inserted with pivots, plates, clasps, spiral springs, ligatures and
atmosplierie pressure."
Harris gives many illustrations showing different kinds of artificial work,
and the technic for pivoting, and plates of all kinds.

COXTIXL'OUS GfJI PLATES.
Continuous-gum work consists of uniting single porcelain teeth to each
other and to a platinum base Iiy means of porcelain. This was practically
carried out by Dr. John yVllen, of Cincinnati, Ohio, who devised original and
important modifications in the preparation and combination of materials and
the modes of manufacturing them, and after a series of experiments, commenc-
ing in 1844 and extending over a period of seven years, succeeded in obtaining
mineral compounds which vitrified at a heat much below that employed by
Delabarre, and the contraction of which corresponded so nearly with that of
the platinum base to which it was applied that the shrinkage incident to
baking conflicted in no material degree with tlie practical utility in the mouth;
so he introduced this most l)eautiful style of denture, which surpasses all other
substitutes for natural teeth. If some minor details have been added by others,
to Dr. Allen belongs priority of practical construction and perfecting of ma-
terial for body and gum. The advent of this work marked an advance in the
esthetics of prosthetic dentistry.
Up to this time little or no thought had been given to restoring with a den-
ture other losses than those of the teeth alone, but Dr. Allen restored to the face
and features all losses resulting from extraction of natural teeth and resorption
of alveolar processes and gum tissues and the consequent distortion aud ap-
parent aging of the features.
"The American Journal of Dental Science," in 1845, gave Dr. Allen the
credit of being the first to make contour-work, and in the same year the Amer-
ican Society of Dental Surgeons awarded him a medal for the same reason.
This work was fully introduced in 1850 through a patent granted to Dr. Allen,
but its adoption was slow from that time to 1860, when vulcanite came into use
and continuous-gum lost in favor among the majority of dentists. The prior-
ity of Dr. Allen's patent was contested by Dr. W. H. Hunter in a law suit, the
progress and result of wliich were pulilished in the dental journals. (See "Den-