Page 432 - My FlipBook
P. 432
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392 HISTOEY OF DENTAL SUEGERY
surgeons rather than as dentists or dental surgeons did not become very gen-
eral, but many skillful oral surgeons have been developed out of the ranks of
the dental profession as specialists in this department.
What was the conception of the scope of dental practice and the proper
field for the operations of the dentist in the mind of Horace H. Hayden, the
coadjutor and councilor of Chapin A. Harris, may well be learned from many
of his utterances.
It seems clear that he contemplated that dentistry should embrace oral
surgery and not that oral surgery should embrace dentistry. In August, 1841,
he delivered an address before the American Society of Dental Surgeons in
which he criticized John Hunter in these words: "In 1778, instead of en-
couraging practical dentists in the prosecution of physiological and patho-
logical researches and experiments, with a view to the further development
of the latter phenomena of this branch of the science, as it was supposed his
wTitings were expressly intended for, he threw a kind of hindrance—a nega-
tive proliibition in the way which was calculated to check the ardor of
—
scientific research, by saying: 'the diseases which may arise in consequence
of tliose of the teeth, are various; such as abscesses, carious bones, etc., many
of which, although preceding originally from the teeth, are more tlie object
of the surgeon than the dentist, he finds himself as much at a loss in such
cases as if the abscess or carious bones were in the leg or any other distant
part. * * * All of the diseases of the teeth which are common to them
with the other parts of the body, should be put under the management of the
physician or surgeon—but those which are peculiar to the teeth and their con-
nections belong properly to tlie dentist.'
Hayden continues : "Yery kind and very considerate indeed, in Dr.
Hunter to avoid leading the cultivators of an immediate branch of liis own
profession beyond their depth or into error ! Kind, indeed, in Mr. Hunter
to avoid leading his countrymen beyond his depth and into matters of wliich,
it is to be supposed, he has not acquired a competent knowledge. * * * if ;jjj-_
Hunter would have condescended to have cast his eye across the channel he
would there have found the works of those whose names I have enumerated,
and especially those of Jourdain, who was not afraid to lead the dentists of
his country beyond their depth, but wlio twenty-two years before had written
and published a work replete with valuable instruction of which every surgeon,
physician and dental surgeon in Europe and America may read with great
pleasure as well as advantage, and which every professional man ought to
possess."
392 HISTOEY OF DENTAL SUEGERY
surgeons rather than as dentists or dental surgeons did not become very gen-
eral, but many skillful oral surgeons have been developed out of the ranks of
the dental profession as specialists in this department.
What was the conception of the scope of dental practice and the proper
field for the operations of the dentist in the mind of Horace H. Hayden, the
coadjutor and councilor of Chapin A. Harris, may well be learned from many
of his utterances.
It seems clear that he contemplated that dentistry should embrace oral
surgery and not that oral surgery should embrace dentistry. In August, 1841,
he delivered an address before the American Society of Dental Surgeons in
which he criticized John Hunter in these words: "In 1778, instead of en-
couraging practical dentists in the prosecution of physiological and patho-
logical researches and experiments, with a view to the further development
of the latter phenomena of this branch of the science, as it was supposed his
wTitings were expressly intended for, he threw a kind of hindrance—a nega-
tive proliibition in the way which was calculated to check the ardor of
—
scientific research, by saying: 'the diseases which may arise in consequence
of tliose of the teeth, are various; such as abscesses, carious bones, etc., many
of which, although preceding originally from the teeth, are more tlie object
of the surgeon than the dentist, he finds himself as much at a loss in such
cases as if the abscess or carious bones were in the leg or any other distant
part. * * * All of the diseases of the teeth which are common to them
with the other parts of the body, should be put under the management of the
physician or surgeon—but those which are peculiar to the teeth and their con-
nections belong properly to tlie dentist.'
Hayden continues : "Yery kind and very considerate indeed, in Dr.
Hunter to avoid leading the cultivators of an immediate branch of liis own
profession beyond their depth or into error ! Kind, indeed, in Mr. Hunter
to avoid leading his countrymen beyond his depth and into matters of wliich,
it is to be supposed, he has not acquired a competent knowledge. * * * if ;jjj-_
Hunter would have condescended to have cast his eye across the channel he
would there have found the works of those whose names I have enumerated,
and especially those of Jourdain, who was not afraid to lead the dentists of
his country beyond their depth, but wlio twenty-two years before had written
and published a work replete with valuable instruction of which every surgeon,
physician and dental surgeon in Europe and America may read with great
pleasure as well as advantage, and which every professional man ought to
possess."
