The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-20
First Days Session of the
N. c, Dental Society.
H. D. HARPER RESPONDS
Annual Address by President Sturgeon
Essay by Dr. Belts.
MORE TIME GRANTED FOR TEXTBOOK
Convention Endorses DR.. Tucker in His Fight
Against Quackery. Reception Tonight
Given by Mrs. v. E. Turner
and Miss Mary Turner.

and Miss Mary Turner.
The opening days session of the 2Sth
convention of the North Carolina Den
tai Society yesterday was very inter-
esting and successful occasion. There
was a large representation from all over
the State, and there was much genuine
enthusiasm in all the proceedings.
Governor Aycock welcomed the dele
gates in a very happy and thoughtful
speech, which was received with much
applause. DR.. H. D. Harper, of Kin
ston, responded to the address of well
come, and made a decided Hit. He was
witty, eloquent, and apt in his brief re-
marks.
A great deal of business was transact
ed and several very fine papers read, be-
sides the annual address by President
]. S. Spurgeon and the essay of DR.. j.
c.. Belts.
The convention was called to order
few minutes past 10 o'clock by the Pres
ident, DR.. ]. S. Sturgeon, of Hillsboro,
who announced that prayer would be
offered by Rev. Marvin Culbreth, OF
this city Mr.. Culbreth's petition was
thoughtful and beautifully worded.
Then DIR. " E. Turner, as the repre-
sentative of the local society, presented
Governor Aycock in a very graceful and
appropriate manner, saying of him
among other things: Standing as he
does for the highest education of all the
people in the State, ne is none the less
the champion of the Arts and Sciences"
The Governor address of welcome
was as follows:
Mr. President and Gentlemen: 1t is
m privilege and pleasure this morning to
extend to you in behalf of the State of
North Carolina welcome to her capital
city. l give to you in the name OF the
State cordial greeting and extend to
each of you the privileges of the city,
carrying with it, under the pardoning
power vested in me by the State, the
right to violate any ordinary rules
which may circumscribe your enjoy
ments. l welcome you both on your own
account and because of the affection
which / have for the people of the State.
During your presence here they will be
at ease There is in North Carolina to-
day on account of your presence here
'surcease of SORROW" Grinding and
hammering in the mouth of the people
has stopped. There is peace in che lane
and joy. But seriously l welcome you
because you are among the best work
ers in the State and have given to us
much service of the highest kind. Yours
is an honorable profession, requiring
knowledge, patience and industry. You
have illustrated these qualities in a high
degree. You have lessened suffering in
the State; you are ministers of happi-
ness | welcome you because you stand
in the forefront of your profession You
have brought credit to the State which
we all love. You have added to the sum
of human knowledge. Your views are
sought after by strangers; your delib-
erations are regarded as important by
scholars. am proud of every profession
which reflects credit upon us and l am
X glad that your history is such that every
North Carolinian can greet you with
cordiaTfty-and say truly that you have
reflected honor upon US.
Until 1885 there were among us no
practitioners of dental surgery About
that year Dr. John F. Harris, a brother
of the late Chaplain A. Harris. of Bal
timore, who is known as the father of
dental surgery, commenced to make pc
riodical visits to the State. Occasional
visits were made by other dentists DR..
Harris settled in Eastern North Caro-
lima and died there In 1887 DR.. Sterling
Wheadon was a local practitioner in the
city of Raleigh and was man of gen
eraI culture and skillful operator. He
remained here only six or eight years,
when he removed to the west. Under
him w. r. Scott engaged in the study
of dental surgery. He took a course in
medicine as we'll and entered as a stu
dent in the Baltimore College of dental
surgery, the first dental college ever es-
tablished in the world, and graduated in
the second class of that institution Be-
fore this time DR.. Chaplin A. Harris ha0
been called to see patient in this State
and came all the way from Baltimore
to extract three teeth from lady suf
ferng with toothache.
Among the foremost in the legitimate
practice of dental surgery was DIR. W.
f. Bason, of Alamance county, who for
many years travelled through the great
er part of the State, spending a week
or ten days in the larger towns A little
later Drs. j. w Hewlett, Wimple and
Bessent pursued the same plan of reach
ing the various towns and villages and
offering the people an opportunity to Sc
cure dental services. 1t was not until
about 1850 that the practitioners of den
tistry began to locate in the larger towns
In 1856 the study of dentistry had become
so common among. us that out OF twenty
five graduates at the Baltimore college
of dental surgery, ten were from North
Carolina. There are now in this State
over 300 practitioners with an average
addition of twenty five annually, and l
can say truthfully that no State stands
ahead of US in skill, in Workmanship in