Page 9 - My FlipBook

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Preface

NEARLY every profession, trade, craft, order or society has had the
story of its inception and development recorded in some way, avail-
able for consultation and reference by those interested.
Dentistry has not now available a historical work in which the record
of its mighty achievements is preserved, a history of its rise, progress and de-
velopment arranged in systematic, chronological, comprehensive and reliable
form. To supply this need and to preserve the memory and perpetuate the
names of the men who wrought so strenuously and devotedly to initiate and
achieve the wonderful improvement, discoveries and inventions that made
dentistry what it is today, is the object of this publication.
When the undersigned consented to undertake the task of writing for this
work and to accept the editorial charge of it, he did so reluctantly, but the
assurance of much needed assistance from many of the loyal, earnest and de-
voted laborers in the cause of dental progress, persuaded him to assume the
responsibility.
He was also persuaded to believe that the gathering of the historic truths
with reference to the evolution of dentistry, which are now so widely scattered,
and their arrangement in one volume, or set of volumes, would be of as much
interest to the dental profession as the compilation of general history and bio-
grapliy is to the general public. He furthermore believed that the profession,
especially in America, has arrived at such a stage of solidarity and vigor, by
reason of its proud achievements of the past and present, and assured position
for the future, that it would gladly stop for an occasional moment, to inquire
into its ancestry and to approve a permanent chronological record of the
milestones along the road of its progress.
The liistory of dentistry now is scattered throughout a very extensive and
diversified literature. This was exhaustively searched, and the gathered glean-
ings have been assembled and are presented in these volumes. In a work of
this kind divided into subjects that are closely allied, and the lines of demarka-
tion of which' are at times difficult to define, it appears almost impossible to

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