Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-07
THE CITY.
PoPULAR DENTAL DUoATIoN.

POPULAR DENTAL EDUCA TION.
Interesting and Practical Truths.
During the session of the Dent al AssC
citation that has Just closed, DIR, S. J. CobI
; cead before that body the following inte 2
+ esting and valuable paper, Which, for i'll
eminently practical ard useful suggest ion S
we transfer to our columns, believing IL a
it viii be fully appreciated by cur readers
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the Association:
Your Committee on Dental Education,
having divided the subject, Drs. Dean and
Grouse having taken office and college in
struction, propose few remarks touch
ing upon what may be termed popular in
struction, or education. A division of the
subject would seem to indicate brevity,
in what should say at present, especially
when We take into consideration that pre-
pared paper pretty much upon the same
subject, that was read before this Society
| at Niagara Falls, two years ago. As such
1 assure you that will not consume more
Of your time at present than viii enable
me to make few simple suggestions
Now that we have organized and dis
| ciplined ourselves sufficiently well to an
nounce to the world that we are a scientific
| learned profession, it becomes our duty to
| make known to the masses of the people
| the value and importance of their teeth.
| This must be done before we can legisi-
| mately claim from them that respect and
honor SO much desired by all. How tc do
| this is the question. In the first place, it
is unfortunately true, that only few per-
sons understand enough of the laws of
health to enable them to appreciate these
organs and in the second place, the
masses know 80 little of rs as profession,
! that they do not call upon us for such as
sistance as we arc capable of rendering
them. To remedy this, we must become
| dental educators, as well as practitioners
We must teach the people to know more of
the importance of their teeth, as well as
the way and means of preserving them
| We must make them see and understand
that their general health depends very
much upon a healthy condition of the
| mouth. .....---.-
| fear, gentlemen, we do not attach as
much importance to this part of our duty
as we should. We must not fail to under
stand that man is creature of education /;
that his mind is as susceptible of being
moulded as the mortar that goes into the
MOulQ 10 tnhk6 tu0 DtlCk.
This undisputed, and we see at once the
importance of casting the mind of each and
every individual in such a mould as will
make it healthy, vigorous and active. In
other words, a mind able to comprehend
northumberland enough of the great living
principle to enable one to take hold and
appropriate such and only such things
as are calculated to contribute to his COM
fort, either morally or physically. The
manufacturing Of this great mind-mould is
the business of everybody, but especially
those who are best calculated for the work;
| and as we claim to be able to contribute
| very much to mans comfort and welfare
on earth, it is especially our duty to see
that our dental impress is made
| upon this mould. We must furnish, in
| future, more literature for the people than
| we have heretofore been able to do. The
| people have not the means of informing
| themselves in regard to the importance OF
the preservation of their teeth, hence we
are not appreciated as wa would Ike to be.
When we have furnished the masses with
| such information as will demonstrate the
fact that time and means spent In the pre-
l servation of their teeth is economy, we will
be looked up to as great benefactors Of the
| human family, and our days of harvest shall
/ then come to pass. 1t is in the power of
| this society, national as it is, to do very
much in the way of educating the people
1 up to standard of appreciation of theiI
teeth This is our tenth annual meeting
| let US take hold Of this subject with re-
| newed energy, and see if we can't do more
than we have heretofore. We have at pres
| ept about four hundred members, with an
| annual increase of about twenty five, whose
annual dues alone amount to more than
| two thousand dollars, all of which except
/ Just enough to pay necessary expenses OF
holding our meetings, propose to convert
into literary fund, for the purpose of es-
tablishing a journal, as well as getting uI
other literature for the public. IfDr. Hal
of New York can carry on health journal
which he has done for many years, 1 see NJ
reason why this, the largest dental society
on the continent cannot do likewise.
small amount appropriated annually for {
few years, will enable some one of our pro
fession to take hold of this journal anC
make it profitable enterprise. dare say
we have a good many literary gentlemen
who are somewhat advanced in age, tina
would prefer living made In this way, tC
one at the chair, or in the laboratory.
feel confident, that a journal of this kind
established upon q wholesome basis viii
very soon become self sustaining.
1 think it can be furnished to sub.
scribers at 81 or 81 so year, which vii
enable every regular practitioner of den.
tistry to take from half to a dozen copies
annually, besides he Will not be slow in
| getting all of his patrons and acquaint-
ances to become regular subscribers, from
the fact that he will soon find it to be de-
cidedly the best as well as the cheapest
advertising he can do. 1t is evident to
me that good dental practitioner car
establish practice much more rapidly, as
well as permanently, by keeping up con,
slant circulation of frst-class people!
dental journal in the community in which
he proposes to practice than by any othel
method of advertising. The fact is, an
fully persuaded that one dollar spent in
this way will be equal to ten otherwise
and Just here will say no brother need b,
afraid of another preferring charge
against him for advertising in this way
for am sure our code of ethics will no
sustain one in SO doing.
In addition to first class peoples denta
journal, am, as the most of you know
| Tor have been advocating 1t Tor SIX o
eight years, in favor of introducing denta
lessons in school books. In this way We
can, in my opinion, accomplish much more
than ever otherwise. With our journal We
can accomplish very much; it will enable
us to reach great many. especially thost
seeking information of this character. Blu
our dental lessons in school books will en-
able us to reach the entire masses no
only that, but the mind when it is best eel
culated to receive our dental impress. This
gentlemen, is the time to exert urselve
in contributing our little mite for the grea
mind mould above mentioned; it is tn
time when all minds are indelibly i'm
pressed for good or evil. Many of our bes
Sunday school authors say, give them tn,
children of the country until they are eigh
or ten years of age, and Satan may hav
them afterwards if he can get them. S
| ua NAV sav whan wa hava furnichad tb