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HISTOEY OF DENTAL SUEGERY 393

It will thus be seen that Hunter in the eighteentli century entertained the
same views that are now held by the men who would substitute oral surgery
for dentistry, while Hayden nearly seventy years ago believed that the term
dentist was comprehensive enough, and that dentists should be competent to
include in their profession and practice, surgical operations.
At the meeting of the National Dental Association in its session of 1900,
held at Old Point Comfort, Virginia, a paper was read by Dr. N. S. Davis,
M.D., LL.D., of Chicago, "On the relations of dental and oral surgery to the
general field of medicine and surgery and the true professional status or rank
of the properly educated practitioner of dental and oral surgery." In this
Dr. Davis observed: "That 'medicine, surgery, and dentistry are actually
departments of a common science' very few will be disposed to deny. I say
'a common science' in deference to popular custom. It would be more proper,
however, to use the plural form of expression, for what is generally styled
medical science is really an aggregation of (parts of) many sciences and their
cultivation with direct reference to the prevention and alleviation of human
suffering.
"Medicine, surgery and dentistry are all based upon chemistry, anatomy,
physiology, pathology, and materia medica, consecjuently these five branches
of medical study are fundamental, and no man can do full justice practically
to the most limited specialty without a thorough knowledge of them all. * * *
'The dentist who restricts his work entirely to the processes of filling teeth
may possibly aecjuire greater skill in that particular work than he would if,
in addition, he extracted teeth, fitted artificial teeth, treated diseases of the
mouth," etc.
Dr. Davis continues : "There is a natural basis on which a limited num-
lier of specialties can be founded with great advantage, and which, indeed,
develop themselves by tlie natural and inevitable course of circumstances.
For instance, the diseased deformities and defects of the dental organs, in-
volving no immediate changes to life and requiring for the treatment of many
of them special mechanical manipulations, naturally and almost necessarily
constitute a special department of surgery. A department, indeed, that
should be regarded as equal in importance and dignity, and consequently
requiring equal education with every other branch of the profession. * * *
"Here it is eminently proper that in all large cities where the required
opportunities are afforded men should devote special attention to such de-
partments. But this can never justify or excuse any class of medical men
for contenting themselves with only a partial medical education. * * * All