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380 HISTOKY OF DENTAL SrilGERY :

3—Apostrophe to Luxiirv i—Kemedies for Dental Disorders
Dentition ; :
and, 5—Apostrophe to Health. In 1838, his muse inspired him once more
to sing the praise of his beloved science in another poem, Dental Hygeia, in
three cantos.
Following the popular treatises of Chewning (1833), Pleasants (1833),
Smith (1833), Bostwick (1835) and Plough (1836), Spooners "Guide to
Sound Teeth" aj^peared in 1836. A\'hile a popular treatise it takes up the
subject in detail, quoting the views of the best autliorities on dental surgery.
In this work the first mention is made of arsenious acid for devitalizing the
dental pulp, and (page 122) mention is made of the Crawcours (probably a
corruption of the French cniqucurs, noisy boasting fellow, liraggart), and their
''royal mineral succedanium,"' which material later precipitated the "amalgaiu
war,"' resulting in the dissolution of tlic .Vmerican Society of Dental Sur-
geons in 1856,
Every profession has its members distinguished for tlieir genius, talent
and energy, and no memlxn- of our profession possessed these qualities to a more
marked degree than Chapin A. Harris. This distinguished author, who was
one of the most vigorous and productive of our professional writers, has jDrop-
erly been regarded as the founder of dental literature in America. His first
contribution was published in Baltimore, in 1839, "The Dental Art," a practi-
cal treatise on dental surgery ; the second edition appeai-ed under the title of tbc
"Principles and Practice of Dental Surgery," by which name it passed through
the thirteenth edition in 1896. This work since its first edition appeared ha-
maintained its position as a text for students in all parts of the world and the
efficient manner in which it has kept abreast with dental progress is due to tlie
careful and systematic editing of Professor F. J. S. Gorgas.
The essays on the ntility of artificial teeth, and on first dentition, appeared
in 1841 and in 1842 respectively. The "Natural History and Diseases of the
Human Teeth," by Fox, being practically beyond the reach of the profession
in AmeT'ica, he published an edition of this work in 1846, bringing it up to
the improvements that had been made in dental surgery, and in 1849, there
appeared a "Dictionary of Dental Surgery, Biography, Bibliography and Medi-
cal Terminology," 779 pages, the first dental dictionary published in the
English, language, tlie sixth edition of whicli appeared in 1898.
The publication of the "American hninial marks a new era in dental literature. The slow and laboring progress that had
l)oen made liy the profession is attributable to the conservatism and zealous
manner in which methods of practice were concealed.