Evening star., 1912-09-10
Benefactions for Promotion of
Dental Education.
HYGIENE OF THE MOUTH
Substance Of Address by President
of National Association.
WELCOME TO THE CONVENTION
Greetings Expressed by Secretary
Tindall Of Board Of Commissioners.
Topics Of Papers.

Topics OF Papers.
Placing squarely before the annual
convention of the National Dental As
sociation. which convened this morning
at the New Willard. a high ideal toward
which he urged that the members indi-
vidually and the association as a whole
should strive more earnestly, DR.. Arthur
r. Melendy of Knoxville. Tenn. president
OF the association, asked why should
tliere not be large benefactions for the
advancement Of scientific dental educa-
ton; for the relief Of the suffering poor
and for the PRONUNCIATION of the science
Of the hygiene Of the mouth?"
I'VE read Of endowments for carrying
forward experimental education or hu-
manitarian work in the healing art" he
said. but In our own professional field
the only benefactions of any considerable
amount OF which l am aware are those
Of the late DIR. Thomas W. Evans of
Paris for dental educational and re-
search work, and the Forsyth Dental In
Urinary for Children. the corner stone OF
which building was laid last June In
Boston.
Surely the care and treatment OF the
mouth and its contained organs is not
a matter OF minor Importance In the
economy of the human system, and l
believe the fact that so few benefacttons
are made for our special branch OF the
art of healing is due to the general lack
Of information on the subject. Those
who have money which they would glad
ly give To a worthy cause have no means
of learning about the need Of gifts in
the great field OF dentistry"
Urges Publicity.
Dr. Melendy urged that the National
Dental Association should broadcast the
knowledge which should move the philan-
tfpopic rich to remember the profession
OF dentistry in their benefactions. and he
suggested that a committee of three
should be appointed whose duty 1t should
be- TO present to the proper parties the
just claims of the dental profession to a
proportionate part of the benefactions of
the world The needs and possibilities
for good to the human race of such
benefactions. he declared. were manifold.
For amplification of dental research, DIR.
Melendy dwelt at length upon the bene-
fits which dentistry should derive from
governmental researches along educa-
tional and scientific lines. II under the
auspices of the association a professor
ship or chair I'm research work should be
founded. DIR. Melendy believed. it would
be possible to show a wide and material
relief of conditions which are detrimental
TO the public health because Of the now
unknown or unrecognized diseases of the
mouth.
The convention was called to order by
President Melendy. who introduced Rev.
DIR. j. Henning Nelms, rector OF the
Church of the Ascension Of this city, who
pronounced the invocation.
In the absence of Commissioner
dress OF welcome. DIR. William Tindall
secreatry to the board Of Commissioners
greeted the delegates.
DR.. Tindal1's Address.
Some Of those present may not be
familiar with the nature Of the govern
mens which I have the honor TO repre-
sent.~ said DIR. Tindall. 'trt Is an au-
tocracv. subject to the exclusive legisla-
ton Of Congress. Those who come here
to reside. and abjure their citizenship in
the states thus voluntarily surrender
their right to participate in the functions
of cftiz.n. except that of petition. We
propose, ut Congress disposes.
We pay very fair share Of the ex-
penses of the municipality, but Congress
determines bow II shall be spent. Ys
when all the elements of the problem are
considered, there Is little real ground To-
complaint of ,our guardian. Congress in
directly governs US by three vicegeren nts
whom must be- our own citizens Thi!
board has power to make police regula.
tons, building regulations health regula
tons, and other regulations bearing {
general analogy to the ordinary munici
pal ordinances, and as the two member.
from the District are amenable to thei
own enactments they are under con
straint TO he reasonable In the exercis.
of that function.
Andrew Fletcher the intractablt
Scotch genius of Saltoun. stated that ht
knew a very wise man who believed
that If man We're permitted to make
all the ballads he need not care who
should make the laws. A later Fletcher
advises us we need not care for tn.
physician if We keep our teeth In goot
working order and make good use OF
our jaws.
Dentist an Essential.
awhile only fools after forty need
ply ysician. IL we have any right TO liv,
at. all after that age, who can do with
out the dentist?
-Of all the consequences Of the sin.
Of tho fathers which are visited upoi
thA children to the third and fourtl
generations, such as deafness. hip
Joint disease. catarTh. paresis, tubercu
lo-s and a myriad other forms Of carl
GUS and vicarious pathological expi
atton- none is so general as that whicl
ut il the happy opportunity OF tn
dentist not only to alleviate local mis-
cry. but to facilitate the h.rmoniou
wprking Of the whole bodily econom,
hi keeping in order the machinery ee
sential to that end.
with your eyes on the endless visit
ot progress and your feet In tho straigh
and toileome path Of duty. there 10 n
limit to the blessings you may continu
to confer nor TO the benediction yo
will dAaerv6 and receive
DR. Frank o. Hetrick of Ottowa. Kan
responded to DIR. T1ndail's address. in be
half Of the delegates in which he thank
"a the citizens for courtes1es, extende
and also spoke Of the beauty Of the cit
of Washington.
Advocates Reciprocity.
Asserting HIS belief that German scisr
lists and American scientists clearly nee
10 more completely understand eac
other. DIR. Newell S. Jenkins Of Dresdel
Germany. read a paper. In which he d
clared that in dentistry. as in othe
branches Of Tearing. we should estabhs
an exchange OF professors for mutual e,
li-h:ment and advantage.
He spoke on the topic Of Moder
Iantistry In Germany" and after r.
viewing the struggles OF the Germa
dental schools and scientists. beginnin
with what he termed the beginning
modern dentistry. incident to the founda
f>on of dental institutions at the Unive
sity OF Leipzig and Berlin in 1854,
said that at the present time In all I
the great universities Of Germany. wit
Che exception only OF two. dentistry hs
found an abiding place and has opene
n new chapter in It's history.
Concerning the influence Of model
German dentists Dr. Jenkins sait
There are now 40 clinics In German
where the children OF the people can
frn tad nd fl,ia hut fha heo