Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-08

tnan In tnelr Juugmcub Wdc auVicooAy ~oJ~Ss
that time, no further action was taken upon
it. and the measure died before II was born.
A second attempt was made during the ses-
sions of the forty second congress. but moth
ing resulted from the move except the ap-
pOintment of dental surgeon at Annapolis,
some time afterwards, with the rank OF assist.
ant surgeon. 1t seems strange that there Is
SO much indifference to the physical nealtn
and comfort of our soldiers and sailors. The
government requires OF those who serve IN tue
military or naval departments that they have
sound teeth as we'll az sound limbs. The
sailor Is especially in need OF good, strong
teeth, for frequently in reefng they have to
serve him in the place OF an extra
pair of hands. To illustrate; Many
times when ree1ng topsailsl In
gale of wind, he is obliged to
maintain his position by holding on with his
teeth while his hands are engaged In passing
the "gasket." A knife, the end OF rope, and
many other things have to be held between
the teeth while going aloft. The nature OF
their food is also OF such nature-and this ap-
plies equally to both soldiers and ssilors-that,
without good, sound teeth, thorough masti-
cation is impossible. In speaking OF the
bareback furnished them, an old salt said 1t
was made c q, and the beef was so hard it
made good material from which to carve
tobacco boxes.
ne treatment Oh 1EdCtuIc9 duu kQu cuOs
Injuries of the lower jaw, in our government
hospitals, il have been correctly informed,
is considerably behind the times, for no
means are provided for their treatment ex-
cept that In use twenty-five or thirty years
ago. 4 fractured jaw Is OF as much conse-
ouence and as difficult to treat as fractures OF
long bones, and yet the latter are much more
scientifically treated. Splints for fractured
Jaws cannot be kept in stock, but an3 appa-
ratus must be made to suit Its own pecuiiari-
lies. These splints cannot be made by the
surgeons unless they have received special
instructions In the mechanical branch
of dental surgery. The feeling OF the chief
medical officers OF the army and navy seems at
present TO be opposed to such appointments,
from the fact that according to the medical
reports. the amount Of dental diseases are SO
small as not to require specially educated
surgeons to treat them. The troops stationed
on the frontier fare much worse than those
close to the cities and towns. They cannot
have the proper operations reformed at all,
for there are no dentists probably within three
or four hundred miles, aud consequently an
aching or decayed tooth has to be
extracted, often by inexperienced hands.
The surgeons and hospital stewards usu ally
do all the extracting. Officers and their fam
lies as a rule SO arrange to have all work nee
essary on their teeth done BY their regular
dentist when they are east on leave OF absence.
Army surgeons never attempt TO NIL teeth,
| they merely extract them. In letter recent.
| ~ received from Msj. Gen. Hancock upon
| this subject, he says: "Both officers and men
OF the military and naval service need profess
sional skill In the care OF their teeth. and !
| think fair discussion OF this subject before
| your medical society would throw needed
| light upon it." Admiral Porter in reply to a
| letter written him also upon this subject said:
IL am in favor O. anything that will enable
| The old salt on shipboard to eat the bareback
| II you had dentists in the navy, should not
| have been compelled to live on soft food
now"
With snch means before rs, gentlemen.
there would seem to be no doubt about the
need of some means being provided Tor the
treatment OF dental diseases IN the army and
navy. 1t would be useless to petition con-
gress to make such appointments unless the
heads of the medical departments saw the
need and make the recommendation. 1t might
therefore be suggested that section ''seven"
of this ASSOCIATION appoint q committee
of five whose duty il shall be
to arrange blank statistical report covering
all the various dental and osal diseases, and
| request the surgeons general OF the army and
navy to incorporate them in the regular med
ical and surgical reports.
The paper was listened to with great inter-
est by the assemblage and literal applause
showered on the writer. DR.. Lawrence said
he could heartily endorse the paper, IS he had
been in the army and knew frequent cases
where soldiers had feigned sickness and been
excused from duty, while others, suffering
from violent toothache, were compelled to
stand guard all mig ht while almost crazy with
pain from diseased molars.
Dr.. Abort moved for the appointment OF q
committee Of three to CO operate with DR..
Maynard, in Washington, and to confer with
the surgeons general Of the army and navy in
regard 10 the appointment of dental surgeons
in the army. The chairman appointed Drs.
Airport, Marshall and Williams.
DR.. Lawrence presented the following reso.
luton, which was carried.
RESOLVED, That the chairman OF the section
on dentistry OF the American Medical $3.50
citation appoint a committee whose duty it
shall be to investigate the subject OF food,
including as far az possible mastication, in
salvation, digestion and assimilation in its
citation to development OF the different It's
sues and organs of the human body, to report
at the next annual meeting.
The meeting then adjourned, but few
members remained to listen to the reading OF
u paper prepared by Mr.. 8. Il. Stout, late med
ical director Of the confederate hospital OF
the Army OF Tennessee, bearing on dental sur.
gerry In the army and navy. The paper was
not intended for publication,