Page 16 - My FlipBook

4 WORLD S HISTORY AND

American cause; the one in the French army and the other hold-
ing a major's commission in the American army. Thus, while in
winter quarters in 1781, in his leisure time, Flagg was under the
immediate instruction of the French surgeon dentist. Upon the
close of the war Josiah Flagg settled in Boston, where he prac-
ticed dentistry. When the second war opened with England, in
1812, he again became a strong advocate for the Union cause,
and enlisted in the army. But early in this struggle Dr. Flagg
was taken prisoner and brought to England, where, on parole, he
made the acquaintance of Sir Ashley Cooper, and assisted him in
surgical operations at Guy's Hospital, London. After remaining
in England for several years he returned to America to resume
his practice in Boston." Dr. Josiah Flagg died in Boston at the
age of fifty-two.
James Gardette* came to Plymouth, Mass., in 1778 from France.
He had studied dentistry with M. Taudinier, a dentist of Paris.
In 1777 he had received commission as surgeon in the French
navy. For a short period he practiced in New York, but removed
from there to Philadelphia, where he was in continuous practice
until 1829, when he returned to France. He died in 183 1.
Clark and John Greenwoodf were the sons of Dr. Isaac
Greenwood, and both learned their father's chosen profession.
Little is known of Clark; it is claimed he was born in England,
and when a lad accompanied his father to America. After hav-
ing acquired a fair knowledge of dentistry, he left Boston and
journeyed to New York City, where, in 1778, he opened an office
and continued the practice.
John Greenwood was born in Boston, and from all accounts
was the first native-born dentist.
Young Greenwood, at the early age of fifteen, enlisted in the
American army, and fought in the battles of Bunker Hill and
Trenton, and was also engaged in the expedition to Canada,
under General Arnold. He afterward entered the naval priva-
teer service, in which he remained until the close of the Revolu-
tionary War, when, finding himself out of employment, he

applied to his brother Clark, who was in New York City practic-
ing dentistry, but here, we learn, he received no encouragement.
He then embarked in the business of nautical and mathematical
instrument making.

* "Dental and Oral Science," by Dexter.
t "The Rise, Fall and Revival of Dental Prosthesis," by B. J. Cigrand.