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HISTORY OF DENTAL SURGERY 391

Oral Surgeons. You and I represent not a profession, but a new surgical specialty;
let us not make a mistake in forwarding its interests. The dentist must come to us;
to unite the worker and student is all that Oral Surgery can do.
I assume the liberty arising out of age, to advise that you will call and hold
yourselves Oral Surgeons. Go into the American Medical Association not as dentists,
but as oral surgeons—as gentlemen of full medical education.
Dentistry is claimed by many as a profession; let it remain so and let all hold to
that view who please. Join with those who are working to make a new specialty. Tlie
result is rapidly showing itself. If you conclude to use the term Oral Surgery I will
be most happy in urging in your behalf any influence I may possess.
If possible I propose to be at the meeting as a member of the Philailelpliia Medi-
cal Society. With much regard,
J. E. GABRETSON.
Dr. Brophy. Philadelphia, March 11, 1882.
My Dear Sir: I will not be able to make a visit to St. Paul this summer owing to
an engagement which takes me to Europe; starting from here June 13th on the
steamer Arizona. Let me express my warm and full interest in the object of our sec-
tion and indulge the trust that the work done by it will properly and creditably repre-
sent the new specialty. Next year, if I live, I will, if possible, take a hand in the labor.
Very truly yours,
J. E. GARRETSON.
[The letters of Dr. Garretson were furnished by Dr. Truman W. Brophy.]
In 1881 Dr. Truman W. Brophy, of Chicago, read a paper before the
Xew York Odontological Society, in which lie strongly urged that the words
"Dental and Oral Surgery" should be used to designate dentistry and displace
the old time name "because these words more clearly represent, or indicate, the
tissues upon which the educated dental surgeon is called upon to operate."
The question of admitting dentists to the conclave of the American Med-
ical Association was seriously agitated at that time, but by reason of the fact
that dentists as a class were not educated as doctors of medicine, tliey were
not admitted at the meeting of this association, excepting such as held the
medical degree.
In the meeting of the American Medical Association of that year. Doctors
Gross of Philadeli^hia, Sayre of New York, and Davis of Chicago, moved that
a section of oral surgery be added to the other sections of that body, which
was adopted. Dr. Goodwillie, of New York, was appointed chairman, and
Dr. T. AV. Brophy, of Chicago, secretary, for this new section, both being
practicing dentists. This was a recognition of the claims of oral surgeons
to a position of specialists of medicine, but not of that of the profession of
dentistry. It does not appear that any great advantage to the dental profes-
sion at larsre resulted from this movement. The desire to be kno^ni as oral