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HISTOKY OF DENTAL SUKGERY 389
OBTURATOHS IX THE UXITED STATES.
Dr. N. W. Ivingsley says : "'An obtuiator is a stopper, plug or cover,
hard, non-elastic, and stationary, titling to an opening with a well defined
border and shutting of the passage. Such instruments are applicable to per-
forations of the hard or soft palate resulting from accident or disease, but they
are rarely applicable to a congenital fissure of the velum. An artificial velum
is not a stationary stopper, but an clastic, movable valve under the control
of the surrounding adjacent muscles, closing or opening the passages at will,
and is apjjlicable to congenital fissures, occasionally where the soft palate has
been destroyed, but never to perforations of either tiie hard or soft palate."'"
Dr. Kingsley excels in the practice of this ditlicult and important specialty
of the dental art. In his illustrated work, published in 1879, he treats of
"Congenital and Acquired Palatal Lesions," "History of Obturators," "Appli-
ances for Acquired Palatal Lesions," "History of Artificial Vela," "Treatment
of Congenital Fissures of the Palate," "Method of Making Artificial Palates,"
"Introduction and Use of Artificial Vela," "Buccal Nasal and Maxillary Pros-
thesis," accompanied with full technic.
No doubt he has done more than any other man to relieve suffering human-
ity in this direction.
In 1841 Dr. Warren Powell constructed a very ingenious and practical
obturator.
In 1843 Dr. Stearn, a doctor of medicine who was acquainted with Mr.
Goodyear, who was experimenting with a combination of sulphur and rubber,
being of an ingenious mind and ac((uainted with the improvements in nib-
ber, gave his attention to the construction of an artificial velum for himself.
In 184.5 Dr. John Harris made an artificial palate combined with an ar-
tificial nose, as well as with artificial teetii.
In the "American Journal of Dental Science," Dr. S. P. Hullihen describes
an obturator which he constructed for a case where the velum was lost by
tion of the posterior surface of the hard, and the anterior surface of the sofi
palate.
In 1858 Dr. J. D. Wliite published a description of an obturator combined
with nearly an entire set of artificial teeth.
In the "Dental (Cosmos" in 18fi0, is described an obturator, made by Dr.
McGrath, to supply loss of the soft palate.
In 1860 Dr. N. W. Kingslev made an artificial velum for a case with double
