The Portland daily press., 1870-11-15
DAILY PRESS.
Tuesday Morning November l5 1870.

CORTLAND :

Dhnsereus Dentistry Again,
deem it duty owe. not to mvea,f ord
profession alone, but 10 the entire community,
to place before them the truth and the facts.
in regard to this red rubber question; and
what am about to say am prepared TO prove
by the best authority in this country, both in
the medical and dental profession; and had
the author of the article in the 1st ult., or the
eminent Dentist to which he aludes, been at
all enlishted on the subject, they would not
have been likely TO set themselves up before
the public as mark of ignorance and con-
tempt.
1t is plain TO the most casual observer that
these two worthless have each an 'axe to
grind" Without doubt they expected lin
blissful ignorance) to have the assistance of
the Portland Dentists to turn while they
sharpened their Instruments; expecting 70
doubt to reap rich harvest by way of ad-
ministering to srch as they could frighten.
He says he will not retort the language of a
Portland Dentist by saying that he would
render himself profoundly ridiculous by de-
nyiLg the truth OF his statements, but that he,
1.-THE dentist) would thereby show great want
of knowledge of the subject under discussion.
Perhaps may show want of knowledge by
denying his statements, but take the respon-
s;bility without hesitation, and in doing so
think | shall not show the same quality of
judgment the Doctor has shown by his at
tempts to eDlighten and thereby frighten tae
community on subject he evidently knows
nothing about. He has the assistance in pre-
pairing his article, of what he calls an eminent
Dentist, but instead of eminence he has shown
himself to be nothing but an old togy. l blush
for my profession, when find here in Port
land, we have man, a dentist, who does not
know any better than to show his ignorance
by saying that rutber was introduced at
time when gold was so high that the masses
could not afford it, and that they (the dem
tists) didn't know of what this rubber was
composed. would say in the first place that
if there were any such dentists they must
have been among the class "eminent." Ii
they would take the trouble to study the stan
dard works on dentistry which all students
are Obliged TO do at the present day, they
would be better authority on this subject.
commence first by denying the statements
in Fridays issue by stating that red rubber
was introduced into our profession in the year
1858, nearly eighteen years ago, when gold
was at par, and in 1868, that being about the
time of the rise in gold, it being estimated by
DIR. B. w. Franklin, the agent of the Amer-
can Hard Rubber Company, that at that time
there were nearly three thousand dentists
| using the rubber. This shows that the den-
| lists, as profession, did not introduce rub
Der on the ground that it was less expense
alone, but that it was better. Again, they
commenced its use with full knowledge of
| what it was composed, or that class of dem
lists who keep posted up to the times. and by
| so doing be able to give their patrons the ben
| eft, not fearing to spend a few dollars for
books and journals and various methods OF
| Improvement; and he that will not do all in
| his power TO build up his profession, whatever
| it may be, deserves the contempt of an en-
| lightened people. Now l propose to show the
readers of the Press what this rubber that we
use is composed of. The parts are given in
| the standard works of our profession. The
crude imported rubber is cut into minute
sheets by knives set on revolving cylinders,
and thoroughly washed; it is then dried. and
warmed, kneeded with twenty-five per cent.
| (by weight) of sulphur, and twenty-five per
| cent. of the best quality OF vermilion. The
question of the medicinal action of the ver-
million (sulphuret of mercury used in vulcan
ite, is what 1 wish to call your attention to,
| so that YOU may be able to see how much
great minds differ on this question.
| Capen A. Harris, M. D., ID. ID. s., late Presi-
dent of the Baltimore College of Dental Sur
gerry, member of the American Medical Asso-
citation, author Of the Dictionary OF Medical
Terminology and Dental Surgery, etc., etc.,
saws: 81 give YOU the result of nv expert
ence: also my reasons for doubling whether
the sulphuret OF mercury, in combination
| with the sulphur and rubber, can exercise
| any injurious constitutional effects, having
| given the subject very careful investigation
| long before my attention was called TO the
| discussions in tue Journals.
First, no symptom following the use of vul-
canite plates has in any single case come I'M
der my observation. indicating local or consti-
tutional medicinal action; but the experience
of one person, although sufficient to prove
the possibility of an occurrence cannot by any
rule of logic establish the impossibilty OF any
asserted statement. Pure sulphuret OF mer-
curry is considered by OrGla as incidentally
inert. Fumigation by vaporizing the mercu-
ry gives it medicinal activity, but this re.
quires temperature of 800 degrees F.; there
fore for the development of constitutional
symptoms we must have the presence OF ar
senic, or red lead, as impurities of sulpburet
or the existence OF free mercury. FIRST, as tC
the impurities OF arsenic or red lead. They
are lot found in pure vermillion but even i
present such poisonous impurity would be
rendered harmless because completely invest
Ell Dy an lnsoluDe coating OF india rubber.
A piece OF vulcanite is impervious to the
hulds OF the mouth, hence, no part Of its sub
stance can De dissolved, and thus taken into
the stomach. ANY supposed medicinal ac'
ton must therefore come from such minute
particles as may possibly be worn off the lin.
gual surface, near the teeth, where bread
crusts or other hard particles OF food inpinge
we have thus, an almost inhnlteslmaly small
quantity OF vulcanite taken into the stomach
one-thlrd OF Whlch Is inert vermilllon, adul
| f>A >~-S