The San Francisco call., 1896-06-20

brow OF patient and the other upholding
a dropping tooth is another innovation Pc
culiar to the new woman. This is the
woman in dentistry.
In the class of 1896 of the College of
Dentistry of the University of California,
which was graduated last Thursday, we're
five young ladies. They were the same
"sweet-girl graduate" that ornament the
platform OF female seminaries and high
schools in commencement weeks.
If there was any difference it was that
the fair dentists looked little brave, for
there is peculiar experience acquired in
an active dental clinic with suffering tooth
aches to operate on that can be observed
nowhere else But while the rule seems TO
be that none go to the dentists chair as
long as they can go anywhere else, per-
haps with woman behind it her gentle
touch NAV add a new and unexpected So
lace to the man with the forceps in his
jaw. Perhaps, too, her smile may dissi
pate the toothache as sunlight drinketh
dew" Anyhow, who does not wish it so
could eat cactus without whimper, and
has no need for the doctor OF dental sur
gerry.
The young lady graduates are Miss
Anna Sawyer of 733 Bush street, Miss Gae
Mcdonald of I07 Fair Oaks street, Mrs.
Mary l.. Baird of 1426A California street,
Mrs. Matilda Ayers of Hyde street and
Mrs. Amy Maxted Gilbert With one ex-
ception, perhaps, all are going to begin
practice in San Francisco. Several will
take recreation of a month or two after
their three years study, but all will have
shingles out in the breeze "before the frost
is on the pumpkin" Miss Sawyer left the
City last evening for an outing, Miss Ayers
will go next Monday, and Mrs. Gilbert
will go away in few days to be absent
month.
Miss Ayers and Miss Mcdonald are
thinking about opening an office together.
Their signs may go up at Miss McDonald's
home, where their chairs will be set up in
one of the parlors, and divided by screens.
One of the young lady graduates went to
school with her husband, and they both
graduated and acquired titles at the same
time last Thursday night. The degrees
are ODDS" Her sign is already on the
front window of a neat California street
fiat. and above it is that of her husband.
A chair has been set up the myriads of
little instruments are in sight, and as DR..
Mary L. Baird sat in the office and perlor
yesterday afternoon, she said:
81 am ready for business" She said it,
too, with demure professional air.
Twill you treat men or women, Or
both2"
81 will treat gentlemen if they want
me-" she said. That is what all the
young lady dentists do, too. So there is
an entirely new refuge for the young man
in pain. Surely the toothache should not
now drive young man to drink.
The young ladies think there is as much
opportunity Tor practical success for
women in dentistry as for men. They
point to a lady in San Francisco who has
been practicing dentistry thirty eight
years, and has built up good practice, as
a shining example of woman's possibility
in dental surgery.
This is the first class graduated by the
college in which there we're any number
of ladies. The only other lady graduate
of the college is Miss Armstrong, of the
class of 1891. who is said not to have
entered practice yet. The faculty speaks
highly of the capabilities OF the young
ladies', as well as the forty seven young
men of the class.
Miss Ayers said yesterday afternoon
that. the nervousness at first naturally
attendant upon operations in the clinic
soon wore away, and that now she would
not hesitate any more to pull tooth with
pair of forceps than to eat a strawberry.
In describing how to pull tooth, Mrs.
Gilbert said: ut is not the strength that
does it so much as knowing how to do it.'