The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-27
FIRST WORE FALSE TEETH.
GEORGE wAsBsNG11N THE oRiGI-
NAL VICTIM IN AMERICA.
Father Of His Country n subject for
the Experiments of Young Den-
tist-Fine Set From Hippopota-
mus Ivory Made for the President.

Not only was George Washington first
in war and first In peace" but he was the
frat American victim of a set OF false
teeth.
The instruments OF torture which I'M
questionably called for the greatest hero
ism In their use were made of iron. and
the teeth, or the same material, were Sc
cured by heating them until they fused
with the frame or plate. At the rear OF
the plates on either side was spiral
spring, which always exerted a pressure
that required considerable muscular force
to overcome to prexent the mouth from
being constantly open. When conversa-
ton or the mastication Of FOOD made nee
essary the movement or the jaws there
was always a loud clanking Of the artih-
cial teeth that could be heard for a con-
siderable distance and frequently drowned
the voice.
The teeth were made by Dr. lie Marie.
& young deiitist, who, fired by the heroic
spirit and words of Lafayette, had left
wealth and luxury behind In France that
he might have d part IN the colonists'
struggle for liberty. Washington had long
been troubled by his teeth. which had
become bad and painful. The rigors of
wars campaigns had given him many
colds, which caused liberation in the
gums. and he fell an easy prey to the
young Frenchman, who snw his greatest
American 1t was not long before WASH
ington had all his teeth extracted and the
artificial set constructed by lie Marie be-
came q part of the being OF the father
of his country. To what extent they af-
forded relief is not known, but a second
set was provided later which were not
quite so heavy and unwieldy. though con-
structed on the same plan. A decided
Improvement had been made in the con-
structions. however, by using ivory or
; bone for the teeth I'm the place of iron.
The latter were much mre satisfactory
than the former, but still were far from
giving the ease and comfort so much de-
sired.
Many years had passed and Washington
heard of young man who had entered his
army at the age OF 15 years lie was John
Greenwood, son of DIR. Isaac Greenwood,
who had come from England shortly before
John was born. After hostlities closed
young Greenwood having failed to earn q
living as an assistant for his elder brother,
Clark, who was practicing dentistry, began
making nautical and theE1a.ical instru-
ments. and in his spare hours studied ivory
carving. Once New York physician sent
for him to extract a patients tooth, and he
did the Job so well that he was often called
upon thereafter to perform similar services
for other physicians. In a short time he
found all his time taken UP in dentistry,
ana ne gave up nlk Otner NOcduOns. f1lS
experience in ivory carving gave him an
advanced position over the very few other
dentists in the country, ana Washington
sent his teeth to him to be repaired.
Greenwood returned them, with long
letter, giving minute instructions as to
their care. The letter was dated Dec. %.
1898, and recounted the work done. One
set of teeth was fixed on the old basis.
and the blackness Of the other set was
d,,n fr rlt In va Greenwood
said, contained much acid. The acid, he
said, took off the polish and softened the
bone He advised the removal Of the
teeth after dinner, when another set could
be used while the former were given
cleansing in water or fine chalk, to be ap-
piled to them with a brush. The chalk was
intended to absorb the acid. He also gave
minute instructions as to the filling of
holes by melting sealing wax in them with
a hot nail II 1t were desired that the
teeth should become yellowfsh, his instruc-
tons were to soak them in broth or pot
liquors, but not lin tea or acids. Porter
was good to color and would preserve
them.
He also desired new plan he had
adopted, that of attaching the teeth to the
bars by screws, instead of casting the bars
redhot on the teeth which destroyed them
by causing portion of them to dissolve.
The bill amounted to SIS, which Washing
ton remitted by the next stage.
Greenwoods inventions did not stop with
those he recounted in his letter to Wash
ington. His work was so satisfactory
that he was given all of Washington's
dental work. Greenwood evidently felt
highly honored by having client so dis
tinguished, and he made special study
of Washington's mouth and his needs.
1t was not long before he conceived the
idea of carving from q large piece of
hippopotamus ivory solid frames and sets
of teeth His first effort was on the
measurements of Washington's mouth.
This set so far excelled all the others that
Washington used them altogether. The
achievement was heralded throughout the
world as most remarkable, and Green
woods reputation was perhaps greater
than that of any living dentist. He also
soon after discovered the method of maxi
ing gold plates, in which the teeth were
firmly set. This added greatly to his
reputation, though it was afterward learn
ed that simultaneously an English dem
tist had worked out the same idea quite
successfully. Greenwood enjoyed an enor-
nous practice in his profession. and found
1t necessary to employ his brother Clark
and several others to fill his orders. Be-
sides enjoying the fame OF being the
greatest dentist of his time. he had the
distinction of being the dentist of the
great Washington, and also of being the
first that was American born. He died
in New York in 1876.
Greenwood was not, however, the first
dentist in America. nor was La Maire for
John Wolfendale had come to this country
from England in 1865. or ten Years before
Greenwood. At the age of fifteen years he
entered the revolutionary army at Bunker
Hill. for the expedition to Canada, under
the command of Benedict Arnold Wolfen-
dale introduced the art in America. He