Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-04
M'MNLEY'S BILL AND TEETH
The Effects of the Tariff Law
on Dentistry.
An Interesting Paper on the Subject
by e. L. Townsend.
The History OF Artificial Teeth-Bow
the Price Was Advanced-The
Result of u High PrOtec-
tive Tariff Duty.

At the recent convention OF dentlstn
in this city, E. L. Townsend, D. D. s.,
read the following paper, which possesses
general interest:
In the city of Philadelphia, in the
year 1886, a boy IA years of age was in
dentured to his uncle "to learn the art
and mystery of dentistry and the manu-
| facture of incorruptible teeth" After
serving his time, it is stated that he aud
his uncle could not arrive at q satis!ac-
| tory understanding, and upon the ter.
| mination OF the contract, Samuel >.
White left his uncle's employ and start
ed for himself. He began in the garret
Of dwelling house at the corner OF
Seventh and Race streets.
The promised formulas for the manu-
facture of incorruptible teeth had been
| withheld from him, and it was necessa-
ry that he should experiment to find the
proper proportions of the various lngre-
dients that produced the tooth he sought
to make. He succeeded 80 well that in
1876 we fird that his uncle was running
a caution advertisement in Stockton'5
Dental Intelligencer, warning the dem
lists that Samuel S. White was in no
way connected with him, and that in
order to get the genuine Stockton's
teeth it would be necessary to buy direct
from him. The young man throve; his
wares were sought by dentists in Eu-
rope as well as America.
At the Crystal Palace Worlds fair in
1851, he received the highest award over
all competitors beginning with the
first worlds fair, he has uniformly re-
ceived the highest award, and it is
claimed by the house that now repre-
sents him that over 108 first premiums
have been awarded to their products in
porcelain teeth. This is a record that
should make every American proud.
Beginning in a garnet, struggling with
poverty, defrauded of what he had
worked long and aseiduously for, his
mastery OF the mystery OF compromising
porcelain, the final acknowledged supe-
riority OF his products, makes his life
seem like romance rather than the
just reward of genius and hard work.
His death occurred in 1879, but he had
lived to see the children OF his brain
and the works of his hand introduced
into all the civilized countries of the
globe and acknowledged the beet Of
their kind. He left fortune stated to
approximate $3,000,000, substantial
reward to his merit. With his death
the dental profession lost its greatest
promoter. To him more than any other
belongs the credit of making American
dentistry synonym of excellence. With
knowledge of how to use his produc
tions the American dentist Wes far in
the lead of all the world.
Shortly after the death of S. S, White
the establishment was placed under tho
control OF the S. S. White Dental Man
ufacturing Company, who still continue
the business founded by S. S. White.
They have enlarged and extended their
affairs until it takes some eight figures
to represent the value of their assets.
A few years ago the various dental deal
ers formed what is known as the Amer
lean Dental Trade association, the al.
legged purpose of which is ''to make the
dealing in dental supplies a reputable
and safe business, enabling the dealer
to carry a stock proportioned to the
needs of the patrons. without the risk
OF being undersold by rival dealer"
1t is to be presumed that the business
was not reputable aud safe business
before the forming of this combination.
There was liability to competition,
and in the eyes OF this benevolent trust
anything savoriDg of competition was
diereputable. The English firm of @.
Ash d Sons, manufacturers of dental
supplies, saw tit, in 1885, to introduce
their goods into the American market,
and after vain attempt to have the
established dealers handle email line
of their goods, concluded to open
a branch house in New York. They
of course joined the American Dental
Trade association, thus becoming
reputable member and entitled to all its
advantages. They were strangers and
Americans always take the stranger in,
and they must have felt very much
elated to be able in 80 short time to be
considered as doing reputable and safe
business. When the Mckinley bill was
being formed and the dental manufactu-
rers were satiflied that they were to be
protected against the products of this
English house, scheme was devised
that would advance the price of teeth,
and to all appearances it would be the
natural result of supply and demand.
Platinum represents the principal cost
in the manufacture of teeth. A rise in
platinum should cause a corresponding
rise in teeth. The dental manufacturers
represent the principal consumers
of platinum in this country.
The price was forced up, l
say forced, because there was
no good reason that platinum should
have been higher then than it is now.
The report that immense amounts OF
platinum were being used in electrical
construction and that the output was
gradually decreasing, and there was no
limit to where the rare and precious
metal might vault to. 1t vaulted to
position thst prohibited the English
teeth being sold at Wholesale, and rested
there. The duty levied on the English
teeth was increased from $17 80 to $52 80
per 1000, which just admitted of the
English teeth being wholesaled at the
retail price of the American teeth.
After it had been advanced just so per
cent the dentist was alarmed, and felt
that every new electrical invention was
another tug at his purse string. The
crop of platinum would soon be har-
vested and then teeth would be like
jewels. After he had become ac-
customed to paying the ad-
vanced price, platinum began to drop,
and it continued to drop despite the in
crease in electrical appliances and the
shortage in the mines, until now it is
below where it was when the corner was
inaugurated. Platinum fuctuates, teeth
do not. This should prove conclusively
that somebody is running the machine,
and who could it be unless it is the
American Dental Trade association. We
understand that since the drop in
platinum the retail dealers throughout
the country have been little shy OF