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REVIEW OF DENTISTRY. 203

CUBA.

(SPANISH COLONY.)
Area, 36,013 square miles. Population, 1,631,687.
Principal city, Havana; population, 250,000.
The professional education of dentists has no place in the
organization of the public institutions of Cuba.
There is no lack of dentists in the island, perhaps 500,
all told, most of whom perambulate from house to house in town
and country, carrying their whole kit in their coat pockets or
under their arm-pits.
In Havana there are about thirty who have a local habitation
in which they receive their patients, but many of these dentists
also go to the residences or places of employment of those who
call them; and this class is numerous, because the climate of
Cuba induces to indolence, especially of the softer sex, who are
not so accustomed to go out of doors as the American and Euro-
pean women are.
Habit is a strong, dominating force, and in Spain, especially
in Andalusia, the barber and dentist very often is one and the
same individual, combining in himself the two callings. He goes
to the houses of his patrons whenever called; and many of the
Cuban dentists are from Spain, migrated to Cuba, where they and
their pupils make up the body of dentists and determine the
social standing of the profession.
There are four or five American dentists and Cubans with
American education established at Havana.
In Cuba it is not necessary to attend the classes in the univer-
sity in order to be graduated and obtain a diploma. Private
studies are accredited by examinations for sufficiency, and under
this law there are in Havana two private institutions for instruc-
tion in dentistry.
One was established by a tonsorial artist, the other by a
teacher of languages, neither of which "professors," as we are
credibly informed, ever had the advantages of any institution for
dental education. The first of these is no longer in Havana, but
his college continues and is conducted by one of his pupils.
Both these colleges have made an arrangement with the gov-
ernment to have their pupils examined annually by a joint com-
mission of the school and the government, and the university
issues to them their diplomas.