Evening star., 1901-07-13
NO MORE BUfCHERY OF SOLDIERS
Thirty Competent Operatives to
Take Charge Of Work.
INNOVATION LONG DESIRED

|
ful, convenient and attractive features of
| army life
When completed it will embrace All act
I've membership of thirty of the hardest
worked men In the service, for their pres
| ence Is sorely needed from time to time by
every man in the army from the command
| er-ln-ch1ef down to the rawest Of rockies.
This circle Of thirty will comprise what is
known as the dental surgical department
or the army, which Is under the direction
| or the examining board of dental surgeons
! OF this city. Before next fall the estab-
! lishment will have been completed, and all
| the dentists whose appointment has been
authorized by law will have been intro
duced to the army and launched upon
their careers as factors in this very i'm
portant but most recently created tributary
OF the United States army.
Young dentists with a prediction for
army life are now undergoing examinations
TOR positions in this arm of the service.
rive rive are already performing duty In the
philippines; ten more are on their way
tnere, one has been ordered to Cuba, one
to Porto Rico, one to West Point one to
Fort Leavenworth and one to Fortress
| Monroe. An have been provided with
KIT of operating machinery. This outfit is
identical with that contained in the best
appointed offices of the highest class OF
dentists in civil life, each costing In the
neighborhood Of $780, the instruments and
other paraphernalla employed by the two
classes of dentists being the same with the
exception of the big chair. which in the
case OF the army dentist is a folding
article of furniture and therefore portable.
Ten more dentists remain to be appointed.
Candidates for the positions are now bsiHg
examined and when the averages ore COM
puted and the most available men selected,
the roster will have been completed.
A Change in Operations.
Then army life. so far as dentistry is con-
cerned will be one grand. sweet song.
There will be no more twisting of molars,
pulling Of wrong teeth, lacerating Of gums,
boring of bones, breaking, smashing
splintering Of the maxillary property. There
Will be no more thrusting Of blacksmith's
tools, turnkeys or miniature cant hooks
into the terroriZed face of the soldier vic
tim by the hospital steward and no more
of the UNNECESSARY pain, tribulation and
Disagreement attending the operation of
filling or pulling tooth In the army. Every
man in the service from highest to lowest
will enjoy the benefit of the most modern
dental appliances in the hands Of compe-
tent operators when he seeks to repair his
defective teeth or have them extracted,
and in anticipation thereof there arises
from the army q prolonged heartfelt sigh
of relief.
During the. civil war and since that time
the thousands Of men serving In the army
when forced by nature to mend their teeth
have been obliged to rely upon the hos
pitai steward to perform the necessary
oteTdltOu he dlOTeSdlu ReHlleIldu Is
without doubt always well l-meanng fac
tor of armY. life, and quite useful in his
way, but 1t must be said that what he
doesn't know about practical and theoreti-
cal dentistry would be calculated to cause
small-siZed sensation in the dental world
If published. Usually he has performed
his dental duties with the aid of whatever
instrument of torture has proven to be
handy, including anything from q brass
tack to a sledge hammer but hereafter as
the regimental dentist he loses his job.
Cases have been known where the bung-
ling of a steward-dentfst has resulted In
broken jawbone; others where the patient
attempted to be treated has been dsf1gured
for life. In fact the soldiers of the nation
tionable in this respect, but hereafter 1t
will all be different. The thirty new men,
known as contract dentists, are all capable
operatives, and the examining board will
see to It that they are stationed at such
places as to render their services always
obtainable when required.
Aside from the consideration Of general
convenience this new institution will prove
valuable to both army men and govern
ment, In that 1t will afford a means of
economy to both. Officers and enlisted
men, fearing the dentistic ignorance Of the
hospital factotum. have been in the past
obliged to travel mles-hundreds Of miles,
in some cases-fn order to reach dentist
in whom they placed enough trust to allow
him to handle their molars Such trips have
cost the men thousands Of dollars. Again,
sands of dollars to veterans Of the civil
war suffering from sfacial pains and i'm
perfections. caused by improper treatment
in the neighborhood Of the teeth, Ter be-
ing wounded In that region. The new
system will save money to both.
The Provision of Law.
This newest branch Of the army Is being
established In accordance with a provision
of the army reorganization law, approved
February 8 last. Strenuous efforts had
been made by the dentists of the country
in years prior to that time to secure rec
ognition Of their profession in the army.
but all were futile. 1t was not until the
Spanish war was fought that Congress
recognized the Justice and logic Of their
contention that the dentist was necessary
factor in modern warfare. During the year
1893 bill was introduced in Congress
creating a dental branch of the War De-
partment. 1t provided. among other things,
that each dentist selected for appointment
should be given commission, and 1t was
defeated. At the following session Of Con-
introduced providing for dentists in the
army, but stipulating that they should
serve under contract and not by commits
sion This was finally agreed to. and was
visions Of the bill the War Department Sc
lected DR.. John g. Marshall of Chicago,
Dr. Robert oliver Of Indianapolis and DR..
Robert w. Morgan Of Lynchburg. Va, as a
city and formulate plans for carrying out
the provisions Of the act These three
gentlemen arrived in the city shortly after
the law was approved and got down to
work Immediately, They selected quarters
on G near the corner of 18th street, where
they are now located and where examina-
tions are being held for applicants for the
ten remaining positions.
The Contract dental surgeons selected
for service are vastly different from the
regularly commissioned officers. sur
geon under contract simply signs a paper
stipulating that he will serve the govern
ment for a certsfn period and perform all
the duties Required Of him. In this in
stance the period Of service covers three
years. and the dentists are given the rela-
tive rank ofTa first lieutenant, with pay
amounting to- $50 a month. At the ex-
piration Of thsirithree years service their
term will be considered as having expired,
and they MAY heave the army II they de-
sire or resign their contract and perform
further service.
A Thousand Applications.
Immediately upon convening In this city
tho axon,1uino hoard sent ont a notice 70 all