The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-10
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

l SAoSe tOucu with dentistry.
 Having been in the hands of dentist: from my early years to middle age ant still retaining a mouth full of fairly goo teeth qualities me to speak on the sub ject with some authority, for from child hood I have been regularly in theii ! hands,
 can remember vividly the visits made more than two score of years age to Dr. Robinson in Eufaula, and how | for many moons I used to carry around 1 in my pants pocket a tooth which he extracted as my most prized relic. It gave me distinction with my playmates who had never lost one, and never lost ! an opportunity to display it to the gang.
 
 | But many a kid loses a tooth, it is | only when he gets big enou gh to have | one plugged that he feels like putting on | long brooches. At least this is the way | it used to be before the modern dentist almost reaches into the cradle and starts the filling of teeth in children of tender age. The first one I had I think was ] made of some nickel alloy and soon tar hished, but when I actually had one with gold in it felt that was marked ladT in the community.
 
 I wish I could set down here the names dates and kinds of work I have had done in my mouth, for I feel that it would be practically the history of den- tistry for the past 50 years. l well re- member a,quarter of century ago going tony friend George Eubank for some work and the first thing he did was to take out what he called "all the old bull let plugs and refill them with more up-to-date compositions.
 I have suffered at the hands of Ameri- can dentists [ have wrthed in the chairs of French dentists, have felt like murderjng operators in Austria, and I have been nearly driven crazy by Ger man practitioners. I think l am enti- tied to some distinction for my teeth have undergone international treatment I can truthfully say that in no nation have ever enjoyed the attention bestowed on me by the dental profession.
 
 I have not the requisite knowledge of physiology, anatomy or the other medi- cal requirements to give a history of the difference in method of those who have treated my teeth in professional way, but l am sure that if such was the case it would be worth while even to those assembled here in convention to hear me tell the story by way of illustrating the vast changes which have come about in dentistry.
 \ I can bear personal testimony, how ever, to the fact that ever since the markable experience of Dr. Evans as the court dentist to Napoleon III and his wonderful experience in aiding the Elm press Eugenie to escape to England down to the time when pr. Davis was selected as the one to attend to the needs of William III of Germany American den lists have had a vogue in Europe that gave high distinction to this country.
 have not at hand the memoirs of pr. Evans, but I have read much about his career that was intensely interesting enough to know that he was not only at the head of his profession in Europe but that he was a man of honor and had true gifts as diplomat. The interesting story of the intimacy between pr. Davis and the Kaiser which appeared as a feature in The Age-Herald gave evidence that he had seen much of the disturber of Europe at close hand.
 
 In Paris I had a friend who was a den- tst. It was the custom for some well known Parisian dentist to set up an es- ts sblishment and then engage trained men to work under his direction. It was con sidered a big drawing card to have among the number at least one Ameri- can, and it was on account of this that my friend Bishop made a connection with one of the fashionable dentists in one of the most exclusive sections of the city
 Through him got to know intimately the distinguished F'renchman in whose place he was engaged I daresay I have seen what none of those present at this session of ~gae Alabama Dental associa- tion have ever seen, for l saw it more than quarter of a century ago. and was informed that it was very rare thing even then. and that only one man in all France was trained to turn out such a piece of work
 An order had come for a full set of teeth to be carved out of ivory, and I saw the workman, or rather artist, at his labors. I do not know why, but the Russian noblewoman for whom they were being made was opposed to the manufac- tured variety then in existence and had made long journey to humor a whim. I suppose that today the ingenuity of Americans has been enabled to turn out a more natural appearing set than the princess got at a fabulous sum. vet I took great interest in watching the ivory ones being fashioned for her
  My American friend was using his knowledge of dentistry and the fad in Europe which required the services of those from this side of the waters to see the principal European capitals. He worked at one place until he tired of it and moved on with certainty that he could land a good berth wherever he chose to settle for the time I thought it was pretty good and chean way to