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390 HISTOEY OF DEKTAL SUEGEEY

fissure of the lip and extensive fissure of botli liard and soft palate, and at a
meeting of the American Dental Convention a gold medal was awarded to
him for his success and improvements in such appliances, and subsequently
the Odontographic Society of Pliiladolpliia awarded him another gold medal
for the same reasons. Tn 18G4 Dr. Kingsley visited London and read a paper
on the subject before the Odontological Society of that city.
In 1865 Dr. C. H. Harroun of Toledo, Ohio, began to produce obturators,
and he presented a patient before the Northern Ohio Dental Association wlio
was wearing, with great satisfaction, one he had made. He has been doing this
kind of work ever since.
The history of obturators dates back more than three hundred years, and
that of artificial vela more than seventy. Tlie manufacture of obturators and
artificial palates combined has met with most encouraging results, and this
combination has been made by many of those already mentioned as making
obturators.
Nearly, if not all, appliances in this line, are now made of vulcanite or
velum rubber, one or both.
At the meeting of the National Dental Association in 1902 Dr. C. S. Case
presented a novel form of artificial palate which he denominated a velum-obtu-
rator, which is so fashioned that it can first be made of soft rubber, and sub-
sequently the molds may be utilized for the making of a duplicate in hard
rubber. He says: "Through a desire to take advantage of the benefits
afforded by a soft rubber appliance on the one hand, and a hard rubber
obturator on the other, and at the same time avoid the possibilities of the final
inefficiency of the one and the difficulties in construction and adjustment
presented by the other, has risen the present artificial palate." Dr. Case has
taught and also made practical use of his method in many cases. His technic
may be found in the third edition of the "American Text Book of Prosthetic
Dentistry."
Beginning with tlic eighteenth century, prosthesis liegan to advance, and
from that time up to the present it has gained rapidly in usefulness, inven-
tions and art.
To dentists in this country is due much praise for advancements made, but
let us not forget that we owe to France and England our first knowledge of
professional matters.
One who visits the model-room of the patent office in Washington will at
once become convinced that American dentists have been prolific for inventing
mechanical devices, labor saving appliances, etc., etc., to aid in the upbuilding
of dentistry.