From Drill to Quill: The Dentist-Writers

From drill to quill: the dentist-writers Eiieen Farrell

I n th e s ta c k s o f th e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c i­

T h e r e a re a t le a s t 13 p ie c e s o f s h e e t m u s ic

a t io n lib r a r y , b e tw e e n th e d e n ta l y e a rb o o k s a n d

(s u c h as “ T o o th a c h e P o lk a , ” “ M is s A m e r ic a , ”

t h e th e s e s , th e re a re a fe w s h e lv e s w h o s e c o n ­

“ L o v e M e T o n ig h t , ” “ A n d M a r y is H e r N a m e ” )

te n ts m ig h t m y s t if y a n u n s u s p e c tin g s tu d e n t o r

b y d e n tis t- c o m p o s e r W illia m B . R ic h t e r , n o t t o

re s e a rc h e r.

m e n tio n “ T h e D e n t is t B lu e s , ” b y A1 P in te r a lly , O u t f it ,

a n d “ T h e P a g e a n t o f C h r is tm a s in S o n g ,”

K n ig h t s o f th e R a n g e , P r is o n e r o n th e K w a i,

A 1 J a s o n , B il l A n s o n , a n d E d d ie B a lle n tin e .

C o n s id e r t it le s lik e T h e H a s h K n i f e My

E ye

Is

in

Love,

W h ite

C lif f s

to

C o ra l

R e e f, T h e N a t u r e o f M a t t e r a n d E n e r g y , T h e Z o ll ie

Or

T re e .

G re e n e ,

such

a u th o rs

G ü n t h e r G ra s s ,

and

as

R.

G.

it

happens,

th e y

a re p a r t

M e m o ir s a n d tr a v e lo g u e s a re a n o th e r fa c e t o f th is c o lle c t io n . A

M ic h ig a n g ra d u a te , H . E a r le

G ra h a m

B lu n t , w r o te a b o u t h is 38 y e a rs as a “ t r a v e l­

S te rn e .

in g d e n t is t . ” H a v in g b r o u g h t p r in c ip le s o f A m e r ­ ic a n d e n t is t r y t o p r iv a t e p r a c tic e s in E u r o p e a n

W h a t a re t h e y d o in g in a d e n ta l lib r a r y ? As

by

o f a u n iq u e

c it ie s ,

Baghdad,

S ia m ,

and Japan,

h e f in a lly

c o lle c t io n in it ia t e d b y D o n a ld A . W a s h ­

s e ttle d d o w n in G e r m a n y u n t il W o r ld W a r I I

b u r n , d ir e c t o r o f th e B u r e a u o f L i b r a r y S e rv ic e s .

( A n A m e r ic a n D e n t is t ’ s U n iq u e E x p e rie n c e s in

A D A The

f ir s t

D 041

g ro u p ,

( B la c k

n o n s c ie n t if ic g ro u p

c a ta lo g u e d

D e n ta l books

(D 0 4 2 )

under

by

d e n tis ts .

The

in c lu d e s b o o k s b y

code

F o r e ig n L a n d s ) . O th e r b o o k s in th is s e c tio n a re

in c lu d e s

M e m o r ie s a n d R e fle c tio n s b y C h a r le s C h a n n in g

second

A ll e n ; M e m o r ia s d e u n d e n tis ta d o in t e r io r b y

th e

C la s s ific a tio n )

n o n d e n tis ts

p o r tr a y in g d e n tis ts o r d e n tis tr y .

G. M .

L e it g e b ; W h ite C lif f s to C o r a l R e e fs ,

th e s t o r y o f a v o y a g e in a s m a ll b o a t, b y W i l ­ lia m H o w e ll; A r o u n d th e W o r ld w ith th e M a x ­ w e lls b y R . G . M a x w e ll; a n d A s i t W a a s , an a u to b io g ra p h ic a l s k e tc h b y M il t o n J. W a a s .

T h e d e n t is t w r ite r s

W itn e s s to W it c h c r a f t b y H a r r y B . W r ig h t te lls

Z a n e G r e y , w h o r e c e iv e d h is d e n ta l d e g re e f r o m

o n th e K w a i b y B a s il P e a c o c k a n d T r a v e l b y

t h e U n iv e r s i t y o f P e n n s y lv a n ia a n d w h o p r a c ­

D a r k a f t e r A r n h e m b y G r a e m e W a r r a c k a re b o th

t ic e d

r e c o lle c tio n s o f W o r ld W a r I I c a p tu r e a n d im ­

a b o u t a t r ip

d e n t is t r y

w r ite r ,

h a s th e

b e fo r e

he becam e

a f u ll- t im e

b ig g e s t s h a re o f s h e lf spa ce.

F ro m

A r iz o n a

th e re

a re 23 G r e y

Am es

p re s e n t; a d d itio n s

to

t it le s

W e s t o f th e in

th e

P ecos,

c o lle c t io n

at

a re m a d e w h e n e v e r c o p ie s

b e c o m e a v a ila b le . 1302 ■ JADA, Vol. 84, June 1972

to

th e

B e lg ia n

C o n g o . P r is o n e r

p r is o n m e n t. S o m e d e n tis ts h a v e w r it t e n A m e r ic a n a : N o e l K a h o e ’ s T h e W ill R o g e rs C o u n tr y a n d R u s s e ll I . T o d d ’ s T h is is B o o n e C o u n tr y a re e x a m p le s , as is T h e Z o llie

T re e in w h ic h R . E . M y e r s

r e c o u n ts a C i v i l W a r e p is o d e . O th e r

d e n tis ts

have

j o u r n a l in D e c e m b e r 1970. F r a n c k c o lla b o r a te d

fo u n d

lig h t

v e rs e

or

w it h L o u is e B e g u e o f S a ra h L a w r e n c e C o lle g e

p o e t r y t h e ir m e tie r . J. T . H a n k s ’ s T h e D e n t is t ’s

o n t w o F r e n c h la n g u a g e re a d e rs , A u f i l de I ’ e a u

R u b a iy a t , C . N . J o h n s o n ’ s P o e m s o f th e F a r m ,

a n d A u p a y s d u s o le il a n d w it h J e a n A m b r o s i

A . M . S c ru g g ’ s G lo r y o f E a r t h a n d W h a t S h a ll

o n C r o q u is p a r is ie n s . T h r e e o f h is b o o k s a re

th e H e a r t R e m e m b e r , a n d F r o m

a b o u t A fr ic a

O n e D e n t is t

and

A lb e r t

S c h w e itz e r (A f r ic a n

to A n o t h e r a re a m o n g th e v o lu m e s o f v e rs e .

S k e tc h b o o k , D a y s w ith A lb e r t S c h w e itz e r , a n d

I n s p ir a t io n a l e s s a y s in c lu d e

My

by C.

The H a n d

C la s p

N . J o h n s o n , T h e D o c to r-M e rc h a n t b y

F r ie n d

in A f r ic a ,

a S c h w e itz e r b o o k

fo r

c h ild r e n ) . M y E y e I s in L o v e , s u b t it le d “ R e v ­

C h a rle s H . P a rs o n s , a n d A l l th e H a ir s o n M y

e la tio n s

H e a d H u r t b y J . R . H o w e ll. T h e r e is a lif e

e x p la in s a n d e x e m p lifie s

o f C h r is t c o m p ile d f r o m th e G o s p e ls b y P o w e ll

m a k e s t h is a r t is t - w r it e r ’ s b o o k s s o d e e p a n e x ­

on

th e A c t

o f S e e in g b y th e

t w in

D r a w in g ” t a le n t t h a t

B . T r o t t e r ; a m a n u a l o n H o w to F r e e Y o u r s e lf

p e rie n c e .

F r o m N e r v o u s T e n s io n b y S a m u e l W . G u t w ir t h ;

A f r ic a n S k e tc h b o o k , s p e a k s o f th e t h ir d c o m p o ­

G ra h a m

G re e n e ,

in

th e

p re fa c e t o

a s tu d y o f T h e N a t u r e o f M a t t e r a n d E n e r g y

n e n t o f F r a n c k ’ s s p e c ia l g e n iu s — a c t u a lly i t is

b y G e r a ld I . L e b a in ; a p r o f ile o f A lb e r t S c h w e it­

th e f i r s t

z e r — S a f a r i o f D is c o v e r y b y H e r b e r t M . P h illip s ;

s h a re s w i t h h is A D A fe llo w s : “ D r . F r a n c k , as

a n d th e s o c ia l p h ilo s o p h y o f J . P o p p e r - L y n k e u s

w e ll as b e in g a n a r t is t , is a d o c t o r a n d a d e n ta l

c o m p o n e n t, h is p r o fe s s io n

w h ic h

he

as s u m m a riz e d b y H e n r y I . W a c h te l in S e c u r ity

s u rg e o n , a n d h is p r o fe s s io n g iv e s h im w id e r a n d

f o r A l l a n d F r e e E n te r p r is e ( w it h a n in t r o d u c t io n

d e e p e r c o n ta c ts th a n a re th e lo t o f th e u s u a l

b y A lb e r t E in s te in ) .

to u r is t.”

Z a n e G r e y is b y n o m e a n s th e o n ly f ic t io n w r i t e r a m o n g d e n tis ts . U n d e r th e t it le B r o k e n B r id g e s ,

th e re is a c o lle c t io n o f s h o r t s to rie s

T h e n o n d e n t is t w r ite r s

a n d s o m e p la y s b y S a m u e l J. L e v y . T h e r e a re n o v e ls : T h e L o n g W in te r E n d s b y N e w t o n G . T h o m a s , T h e C o b b le r b y W i l l i am B . R ic h t e r , De

lo s

v iru s

S a n d o v a l,

a

and

lo s

d is c o s

som e

v o la d o re s

lig h t- h e a r te d

by

f ic t io n

A

s m a lle r, b u t g r a d u a lly in c r e a s in g p a r t o f th e

J.

c o lle c t io n (th e D 0 4 2 p a r t) in c lu d e s s u c h c o n ­

by

tra s ts a s a te e n -a g e ro m a n c e a b o u t d e n ta l as­

M a t t h e w F in c h , a B r it is h d e n tis t. H i s T h e T h ir d

s is ta n ts (D e n t a l N u r s e a t D e n le y ’ s), a ju v e n ile

S e t is a f l u f f y ta le a b o u t a d e n tis t, h is a m b itio u s ,

(P o rte rh o u s e M a j o r b y M a r g a r e t J o y c e B a k e r ,

f o r t u n e - h u n t in g w if e , a n d a p h o n y f o r m u la f o r

a n d G ü n t e r G r a s s ’ s L o c a l A n e s t h e t ic . T h e G e r ­

g r o w in g a t h ir d s e t o f te e th .

m a n w r i t e r ’ s in v o lu t e d , c o n v o lu te d , e lu s iv e s to r y

A n d , o f c o u rs e , th e re is o u t-a n d - o u t h u m o r .

( i f i t is a s to r y ) see m s t o ta k e p la c e m a in ly in

Y o u S a id a M o u t h f u l is a s e rie s o f c a r to o n s

a d e n ta l c h a ir. G r a s s ’ s m a in c h a r a c te r m a k e s

c o m p ile d

fr e q u e n t a n d e x p lic it d e n ta l re fe re n c e s o f c o n ­

by

G e r a ld

E p s te in

to

“ c o u n te r a c t

b a d , c r u e l h u m o r a b o u t d e n tis ts a n d d e n t is t r y

s id e ra b le

a n d to s h o w th e m as th e y r e a lly a re : h u m a n ,

lit e r a r y as w e ll as c lin ic a l in te r e s t is d e b a ta b le .

s e n s itiv e ,

w h im s ic a l,

a n d m o s t im p o r t a n t,

s o p h is tic a tio n ;

w h e t h e r th e y

a re

of

as

A n o t h e r w r i t e r w h o s e k n o w le d g e o f d e n t is t r y

p r o fe s s io n a ls d e d ic a te d to th e a lle v ia t io n o f n e e d ­

is m o r e th a n in c id e n t a l is G r a h a m G re e n e . O ld

le ss s u ffe r in g a n d t r e p id a t io n . ” T h e r e ’ s T o o th o r by

C onsequences

W illia m

S.

L ic h t

and

H.

fa n s o f h is w i l l r e m e m b e r th e u n f o r t u n a t e M r . Tench,

one

o f G r e e n e ’ s e a r ly

“ b u rn e d o u t ”

N e ig h e r ; T h e S a g a o f D r . A n t o n P a z u , a c o l­

case s (a “ w h is k y d e n t is t ”

o r in g b o o k f o r d e n tis ts ; O h D o c t o r ! a n d T h is

“ w h is k y p r ie s t ” ) in th e M e x ic o o f th e b r u ta l

as c o u n t e r f o il t o th e

W o n ’ t H u r t b y E d w a r d S a m p s o n , a n d B r e v it y I s

1920s ( T h e P o w e r a n d th e G lo r y ) . G r e e n e is

th e S o u l b y S e th W . S h ie ld s .

s t ill in te r e s te d in d e n tis ts , a n d h is 1959 d ra m a ,

But

even

in

th e

m id s t

o f a ll

th is

d iv e rs e

T h e C o m p la is a n t L o v e r , h a s a d e n tis t f o r le a d ­

t a le n t, o n e m a n ’ s w o r k s s ta n d o u t. H e is A D A

in g m a n (p la y e d b y

m em ber

th e 1961 N e w Y o r k p r o d u c tio n ) . T h e c lim a x o f

F r e d e r ic k

F ra n c k

who

has

w r it t e n

S ir M ic h a e l R e d g r a v e in

a n d /o r illu s t r a t e d a d o z e n o r so b o o k s in li t t le

th e p la y , a tr ia n g le in v o lv in g a b o o k s e lle r as th e

m o r e th a n a d e c a d e . F e llo w m e m b e rs w i l l r e c a ll

o th e r m a n , o c c u rs w h e n d e n tis t V i c t o r te lls h is

s o m e o f th e s k e tc h e s f r o m h is H a r o ld H i lle n -

r iv a l, q u ite k in d ly , t h a t h e d o e s n ’ t h a v e a v e r y

b r a n d , D . D . S . , a s e rie s o f d ra w in g s o f th e e x e c u ­

g o o d d e n tis t, th a t th e f i ll in g in h is u p p e r c a n in e

t iv e

s h o w s to o

d ir e c t o r

e m e ritu s

th a t

a p p e a re d

in

th e

m u c h ( “ lik e

a n o ld

s a rd in e t i n ” ).

Farrell: FROM DRILL TO QUILL ■ 1303

The

c u t-d o w n

r iv a l

m e e k ly

r e v e a ls

h is

fe e t

e x p e r ie n c e is d e e p in a ll o u r p s y c h e s — a n d th e s e

o f c la y : “ B u t I c a n ’t b e a r t h a t th in g o f y o u r s —

w i l l f in d t h e ir w a y , o n p u b lic a t io n , t o th e w a it ­

w h a t d ’ y o u c a ll it ? T h e w h iz z y . ”

in g s h e lv e s a t 211 E C h ic a g o A v e .

A n d V ic t o r

The

u r b a n e ly a s s u re s h im , “ Y o u w o u ld n ’ t fe e l a th in g . The

n e rv e

is p r o b a b ly

dead— o r I ’d

u s e th e

w r ite r s ,

d e n tis ts

and

n o n d e n tis ts ,

w ill

h a v e a lo n g w a y to g o , th o u g h , to m e a s u re u p

p e n to th a l. R in g u p m y s e c re ta ry a n d m a k e an

to

a p p o in t m e n t . ”

— O liv e r W e n d e ll H o lm e s . H e r e a re th e c o n c lu d ­

In

T e e th ,

D y in g

and

o f th e c o lle c t io n ’ s p a tr ia r c h

by

in g w o r d s o f T h e C la im s o f D e n t is t r y , a n a d ­

s to r y , w h ic h o r ig ­

d re s s h e d e liv e r e d a t th e c o m m e n c e m e n t e x e r­

O th e r

R ic h a r d G . S te r n , th e t it le

th e h ig h s ty le

M a tte rs ,

in a lly a p p e a re d in P a r tis a n R e v ie w , is a b o u t a

c is e s o f H a r v a r d U n iv e r s i t y ’ s f ir s t d e n ta l c la s s ,

lo v e - h u n g r y U n iv e r s it y o f C h ic a g o te a c h e r w h o

in 1872:

tr ie s f o r l o r n l y to w in th e a ffe c tio n s o f a r a t h e r

M ay you find the public ready to appreciate and re­ ward your skill; and so acquit yourselves, that the ear which hears you shall bless you; and the eye that sees you bear witness to you; that the smiles of innumerable friends may reveal to you the per­ fection of your own handiwork; and your praise be in all the mouths of a grateful community!

g ru b b y

s o u th

s id e d e n tis t. A n d th e n th e re is

I n th e T e e th o f th e E v id e n c e , a D o r o t h y S a y e rs tre a s u r e in w h ic h L o r d P e te r W im s e y a n d a d e n ­ t is t n a m e d M r . L a m p lo u g h s o lv e a m u r d e r b y m e a n s o f d e n ta l c lu e s — a q u ic k e x c u r s io n in t o f o r e n s ic d e n t is t r y . D r . W a s h b u r n ’ s in te r e s tin g c o lle c t io n is b o u n d t o g r o w . T h e r e w i l l b e m o re v e n tu re s in t o th e f in e a rts b y d e n tis ts , a n d m o r e lit e r a r y d e n ta l a d v e n tu r e s b y n o n d e n tis ts — b e c a u s e th e d e n ta l

M rs. Farre ll is e d ito ria l s u p e rv is o r, A m e ric a n D ental A s s o c ia tio n .

F o ley s F ootnotes H aving h e a rd n in e of th e "S avoy O p e ra s ,” so m e of th e m sev eral tim es, I s u p p o s e th a t I qu alify for th e d esig n atio n of “ S av o y ard .” T h e lyrics of W illiam S ch w e n c k G ilbert, w o nderfully e n h a n c e d in p r e ­ se n ta tio n by th e su p e rb ly felicito u s m u sic of Sir A rth u r S ullivan, h a v e given p le a s u re to m illio n s of t h e a te r g o e r s for alm o st a c e n tu ry . It is v ery p ro b a b le th a t th e m ajo rity of m y r e a d e r s h a v e h e a r d th e p e re n n ia lly p o p u la r “Let th e P u n is h m e n t Fit t h e C rim e ” from The M ikado (1 8 8 5 ). It is a p le a s u re , th e n , to c ite for th e ir h a p p y reco llectio n th e s e lin e s from t h e sp irite d song su n g by th e Mikado: T h e a d v e rtisin g q u a c k w ho w earies With ta le s of c o u n tle s s c u re s, H is te e th , I’v e e n a c te d , Shall all be e x tra c te d By te rrifie d a m a te u rs . As G ilbert u se d h is lyrics ex ten siv ely to e x p re s s h is p e n c h a n t for sa tire, w e c a n a s s u m e th a t in th e s e lin es h e w as e x p re ssin g h is h e a rty d islik e for q u a c k e ry in all th e a r e a s of h e a lth se rv ic e a n d also th a t h e w as re fle c tin g th e c o n te m p o ra ry c o n c e p t of t h e se v erity of th e d e n ta l ex tractio n ex p erien ce. I d o u b t th a t w e c a n c re d it G ilbert with p o s s e s s in g k n o w led g e o f th e m edieval c u s to m of p u n is h m e n t by tooth ex tractio n th a t m ight h a v e c o n trib u te d h isto rical su p p o rt for th e M ikado’s se lectio n of a p u n itiv e device.

Gardner P. H. Foley

1304 ■ JADA, Vol. 84, June 1972