Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-01-13

Add to these the busy practice of successful
dentist in all the branches of his profession,
and we exhibit au extraordinary amount of la
Dor, of energy and usefulness, such as few men
have lived to accomplish even in a much greater
number of years. But, however great the in
dustry needed to meet the demands upon his
skill, and the wear upon his frame, when the
truth is known, that nearly Ore-third of all the
labor was the work of charity, we form Just
estimate of the tax upon noble heart and a
self-sacrihcing nature. 1t was rule of his
professional life to make no charge whatever for
services rendered to clergymen, no matter where
resident or of what persuasion thus, in the de-
partnent of artificial teeth, DIR. Hull;hen sup
piled in a single year charity work amounting
to about two Thousand dollars, at the ordinary
rate of charges to others. There is no need of
comment upon the liberality displayed on the
one side and abuse of 1t on the otherE An an.
ecdote in this connection seems apropos.
Hullihen had encountered some ungrateful
cases that were not little trying to his pa
thence, when he was applied to by country
gentleman of the pulpit, with very miserable
teeth, -one indeed who had only sad array of
decayed fangs This patient expressed great
wonder ms to the cause of diseased teeth and
their loss when life was scarce half over;-''it
was unnatural: it could never have been the
design of Providenceln and he wished the doc
tor would explain the MYSTERY. The general
causes that lead to decay and loss of teeth were
very carefully gone over by the doctor, and the
visitor, with mind apparently enlightened and
satisfied left the Office; but in a day or so the
same gentleman returned, and again he wanted
the doctor to tell him Eohy it was that teeth de-
cayed; why he should be thus sorely afflicted
so early in life. A little impatient at the evil
dent inattention to his previous explanations,
the doctor now said, :-''Well sir, very re-
Gently gave you professional view of the eau
ses of decay in teeth, which you seem not to
have understood, so will now give you a scrip
turaL explanation Of that misfortune which you
will understand. You are, of course, CONVEX
SAINT with the scrptural history of the forbidden
fruit, and the sin of our first parents; you must
perceive that when Adam and Eve ate the apple
they bit it with their teeth; of COURSE then, the
teeth being the immediate instrument of sinful
disobedience, it was right that they should be
the greatest sufferers for the offence. There
fore, we may conclude, that whenever a man
usual amount of old Adam in his naturep This
original opinion of the cause of decayed teeth
was probably better remembered by the patient
that the previous scientific one.
DIR. Hullihen published many valuable pa
pers on medical subjects, but they have not
been preserved or collected in such form as to
permit correct reference to their extent. Those
that have come to my knowledge are as fol-
lows:-
1s39-An Essay on Oaontqlgia
1s44-A Treatise on Hair-L lip and ats Treat
anent.
ls45-4s Es.aqy on ozsts-Pq7ate and it.
1s46-4" Essay on A6seess Of the Ja,es and
Treatment.
1s49-Report Of a Case Of Elongation of the
URder..Jato, a0ith Distortion Of the Face
and Necb, caused by a Burn, SuccesstulEy
Treated
DR.. Hullihcn's correspondence was very ex-
ton I, e.
tions, his style may be regarded as clear and
energetic, with an earnest warmth, "A direct
truthfulness, and originality that strongly par
took of his character.
He was the inventor of many new forms of
Instruments of great value to the dentist and
the surgeon, but he never took credit to himself
Tor. these improvements. allowing the cutters the
free use of whathe originated As dentist DR..
ltullihen was eminently judcious and skillflIlH
Ills elevated views of practice have been embodied
in his own language, when he said-"I Tho dentist
must carry u0'0Grd the standard Of his profession
and. pLnnt ttiupOn the broad platform of medical
sctencei heyApust claim FOR himself and his pFO-
Jessfon The same respect and Importance atoarded
20 other branches. Of the healing art, aud that
too, upon the same 9r0und,-the OrOund of a
thorough scientific editcdtiOn." IL is not practi-
cable here to give history of the various i'm
proVements and discoveries contributed to den
tai surgery by DR.. Hullihen, but desire at
least, to name, with special interest, his very
valuable Improvement in the operation offilling
teeth when the decay has reached the nerve
cavity. This original device consists io perfo-
rating the fang through the gum and alveolar
process into the nerve, before packing the metal
and has been particularly described to the pro-
fession in the pages of the Fisilqdelphia Nett-
cal E!rGnliner for Oct. 1852 This successful
mode of filling teeth when the nerves arc expo
sed, has justly been termed the Hukti5en Ope.
ration, and has been approvingly and gratefully
adopted by the best dentists of0ur country.
Those who were best acquainted with DR.
Hullihen, and able to appreciate his value, in
the profession as well as out of it, will not be
satisfied with any other title for him than that
OF a great man. Hence the monument being
erected to his memory by the city of Wheeling
was justly due to his character aud services; It
was the natural act of a sorrow stricken comnu-
nifty, and is the moro honorable as the sponta-
neous movement of grateful people in whose
midst the best years of his life had been spent,
and is true expression of the well.earned love
and gratitude existing toward him, and realized
at the period of his untimely death.
In this brief sketch am conscious of having
done but imperfect justice to the life of a yery
distinguished man, with whose warm friendship
was honored; but my consolation is, that it has