The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-25

from a trade. Although the ancient
Egyptians. Greeks. and Hlndus are said
TO have practiced crude dental surgery,
and although it is asserted that artificial
teeth of brass and gold have been found
IN mummies IN the tonbs of the Pha-
raohs, dental medicine, as II is under
stood to-day, Is a development Of the last
hundred years: in fact, scientific den
tistry in America has come into existence
during the last three-quarters OF a cen
fury. 1t is said that modern dentistry
twas conceived In France, Graded in Eng
land. and matured in the United States.
In colonial days many persons in this
country held it sinful to attempt to re-
place teeth or to attempt TO arrest their
decay The Puritans particularly objected
TO such unholy practices, declaring that
when God in His judgment decided that
the teeth should become useless it was as
wicked TO try to repair them as II was
TO walk under an umbrella. in violation OF
the Scriptural law that the rain should
fall upon the just and the unjust, or to
try to prevent badness. There was also
a widespread belief that cleansing the
teeth with a toothbrush might cause fatal
hemorrhage from the gums.
Persons who did patroHize dentists. how
ever worldly wicked and free from moral
scruples. were ashamed TO admit that
they resorted to such means Of presery-
ing their teeth. and the dentist who val
ued his clientele did not speak 10 ladies'
Of fashion in public. no matter how many
artificial grinders he put in for them
in private. II was not uncommon for a
lady whose teeth demanded attention 10
make an engagement with the dentist 10
call at her house before daylight, or
enter by the rear gate, and do the work
behind closed shutters Dentists az that
time, by the way, travelled about with
kits" Of homemade tools. It was not
until the second quarter Of the nine
tenth century that the profession began
TO be generally recognized and pTactItl0n-
ers worked in their own offices.
During the last decade Of the eighteenth
century there were a few dentists, more
or less broadly educated praCtiCing in
America. Jos lie MAR came 10 this coun-
try with the French army during the
Revolutionary war and won a wide repu-
tatiOn as a trarsplanter and extractor Of
teeth. James Gardette. who had studied
medicine and served two years ia a Tou-
lon hospital before he came 10 America,
performed many dental operations upon
military officers when Rochambeau's
army was at Newport r. I. He after
ward settled in this country, practiCing a
short time in New YORK. and nearly forty
years in Philadelphia, before returning TO
Bordeaux. where he died IN 1891 But be
fore the Revolution, and for many years
thereafter, It was customary for a man
VINO wanted 20 become a dentist 70 drop
some other trade and undertake the new
calling without any especial educational
equipment Tooth carpentering, as Il
was derisively called. was a business in
which the ethics Of profession had lit
tie part.
An early method Of replacing q tooth
was called "transplantation." 4 patient
with a bad tooth would arrange with a
person willing 70 sell sound one for a
stipulated sum. and the two teeth were
pulled at the same time, the sound one
being Immediately placed into the socket
from which the decayed one had been
drawn Naturally. various diseases were
transplauted along with teeth. and the
practice was on that account abandoned.
Human teeth long since pulled were also
pivoted upon the roots OF old teeth, and
for the same purpose teeth made from
blocks OF hippopotamus ivory, and from
cattle teeth were also used. II was Gus
tOmary for dentists to collect all Of the
human teeth they could get, and preserve
them IN Jars; and a dentist who had a
few gallons Of teeth was well of
When human teeth were I'm demand at
good prices many means Of securing them
We're resorted 10. among them grave-rob-
bing. An ayariCious parson. under pre-
tense of looking for a place in which 10
lay away the body Of his dear wife, got
access to the church vault. Once inside,
he left a trap-door unbolted, and after
nightfall let himself down into the vault.
With a chisel and hammer he secured the
teeth Of all the dead members Of his con-
gregstion. netting $3.50 by the enterprise.
sutler In the French and Peninsular
wars drew enough teeth from the dead
bodies Of the soldiers 90 make himself
rich He went home and built a hotel at
MaTgate, but the patrons Of the house
got wind Of the fact that their landlord
was a ghoul. and trade fell off so that
he was forced 10 sell out az a heavy loss.
When the first artificial pivot teeth were
being used a manufacturer whose name
was Stockton, did large business in
New York and adjoining States in selling
them to dentists. He had a large stock
on hand when he invented the Single
gum artificial tooth an improvement
upon the original pattern. BY keeping
the secret he made a commercial coup
that caused no little gnashing of real
teeth among dentists and dealers. Ped
dlers were sent out with sacks of the
best teeth then known I'm the market re-
duced to 10 cents each. They were in
structed TO make the announcement that
Stockton was selling out 70 change his
business. Dentists who had depended
upon Stockton for their supplies borrowed
money 10 lay I'm a heavy stock lest they
should be out Of teeth before another
manufacturer could supply them one
broker in New York-there were New
York brokers even in those days-tried
10 corner the tooth supply and bought
all he could get. A short time after the
last pivot tooth had been disposed Of.
Stockton agents reappeared in the mar
ket with the great single gum tooth.
Customers Of dentists Immediately de-
manded the best the market afforded
and the old style worries were a dead
loss to all who had invested in them.
Dentists, as well as dealers. guarded
their trade secrets sedulously when den
tistry was a trade, and il was not un-
common for one dentist who desired 10
learn something from another to try 10
get his colleague drunk and make him
talk. Upon one occasion a lady entered
the office Of Or. r. W Bristol Of SYRIA
cuse. and displayed a fine set of artid-