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HISTOEY OF DENTAL SUBGEBY 329

annual meeting, in October, 1908, it will have completed its sixty-third
year, and is the oldest dental society in the world. It has continued its
meetings regularly during this long period, and is today stronger in mem-
bership than ever before. With this volume appeared as additions to the
library a "Treatise on Second Dentition,"' by C. F. Delabarre, translated
from the French by Chapin A. Harris; "A Few Facts Connected with
the Teeth," by Mr. George Waite, surgeon-dentist, England ; "Anatomy of
the Dental System," by Ph. Fr. Blandin, translated from the French by Dr.
Bobert Arthur.
The seventh volume was edited by Drs. Harris and Westcott, and Mr.
Edwin J. Dunning. With this volume, and part of it, was published an
article by Mr. Edwin Saunders, a distinguished London dentist, entitled
"The Teeth a Test of Age, Considered With Beference to the Factory Chil-
dren." This work, a little pamphlet, had appeared in London a few years
previously, shortly after tlie British parliament had passed an act forbidding
the employment of children under a certain age in factories. The cupidity
of parents led to false statements regarding the age of man}' children so
employed. It was to counteract this that Mr. Saunders undertook the in-
vestigation. While it is interesting reading, it is questionable whether it had
any value in correcting the evil. As it was during the publication of this
volume that Dr. Morton demonstrated the value of ether inhalation pre-
paratory to surgical operations, we find it referred to in several articles,
but it has much less space accorded it than such an important discoverv
should merit. This was due, no doubt, to the mamier in which it was
announced. To many it may he a surprise to know that a number of large
and well regulated hospitals refused to use it until long after the demonstra-
tion at Boston. Ethics had much to do with this apparent neglect of a valu-
able means to relieve luiman suffering. This volume was enlarged to 400
pages. The library was enrii-lied by the excellent work by Desirabode, "Ele-
ments of the Science and Art of the Dentist," translated from the French
by Dr. Harris.
With volume eight, Dr. AVilliam H. Dwinnelle replaced Mr. Dunning
as coeditor. On page 147 is a paper read Ijy Dr. J. Y. Simpson, before the
Medico-Cliirurgical Society of Edinlnirgh, Scotland, announcing his dis-
covery that chloroform was a better agent than ether for producing insensi-
bility to pain during surgical operations. To the library was added "Blake's
Structure and Formation of the Teeth in Man and other Animals," a
notable Iwnk in its day, but hardly worth republication half a century later.