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President’s Address, Section XIII*
The Journal of the American Dental Association
82
idly as in the subjects to be considered by this section, and I m ay also say that there are none more im portant fo r the promotion o f the health and happiness o f the individual than these things that we are about to discuss. T h ere is much w ork to be done along educational lines, not only w ith the public, but also w ith our own and the medical profession, before our ideals w ill be reached. M an y m atters o f vital importance, not only fo r the benefit o f the public, but fo r that o f the profession as w e ll, must be considered here, and definite recommendations must be made to this Congress fo r final determ ination. Im portant questions relatin g to policies to be adopted fo r the conduct o f our ac tivities in the fu tu re must receive ear nest and thoug htfu l attention. W e are expected to fo rm u late w orkable plans fo r the encouragem ent, assistance and guidance o f those who w ill carry on public school, dispensary and health service w ork. I am sure much valuable in form ation w ill be derived fro m an exchange o f ideas and experiences. Probably the most vital and generally im portant proposition that w ill be brought before this Congress w ill be presented by our distinguished col leagues, D rs. Schaifer-Stuckert, Bruske
and Jessen, who have labored long and earnestly to promote the cause o f oral hygiene. I r e fe r to proposals o f the Hygiene Commission o f the F . D . I., passed at G eneva, Sw itzerland, last year. T h e carryin g into effect o f these proposals w ill m ark a long and distinct step in advance, and result in placing the oral health m ovem ent upon a firm foundation. I desire again to extend, on behalf o f the officers o f this section, personal greetings to our distinguished friends fro m abroad, and to express the hope that the time spent w ith us may be pleasant and enjoyable. T o the friends at home, who have so splendidly cooper ated w ith us, I w an t to express my deep appreciation fo r their helpfulness, kind ness and courtesy. I cannot close w ithout expressing the deep regret that w e a ll feel because o f the death o f our frien d , colleague and vice-president, D r. Charles H. O akm an, o f D etroit. D r. O akm an was one o f the pioneer w orkers in oral hygiene, as w e ll as one o f the outstanding mem bers o f the dental profession in other branches. A true frien d and a man o f sterling w orth and uprightness o f character, he w ill be missed by a wide circle o f friends.
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS, SECTION XIII* B y R O Y JAMES R IN E H A R T , D .D .S ., F .A .C .D ., Kansas City, Missouri
D istin g u ish e d G u ests a n d M e m b e rs o f the Seven th In te rn a tio n a l D e n ta l C o n g r e ss :
E C T I O N T h irteen brings you greetings. T hough sometimes called a doubtful num ber it represents, at
S
♦Dental
Legislation.
this time, la w and order, the basis of righteousness and o f m utual under standing. T h e officers appreciate to the fu llest extent the loyalty and faithfulness o f a ll who have consented to participate in this program . T h is is an opportu nity fo r a better and a broader under
Proceedings o f the Seventh International Dental Congress
standing o f the legal needs o f the profession. F orm er Secretary o f State, Charles Evans Hughes, in his address before the A m erican Society o f International L a w , w hen it convened in W ashington, is quoted as saying, “ A n international or w o rld code must result fro m a series o f conferences participated in by the na tions o f both the old w o rld and the new. Restate, amend and enlarge the universal law -treatin g international law as obligatory and meeting each other on an equal fo o tin g .” T h e convening o f the Seventh In ternational D ental Congress is signifi cant w ith the spirit o f these w ords o f M r. Hughes, and especially do w e trust that the nations here represented fe e l that they meet each other on an equal footing. Statesmen and leaders con vene, argue and arbitrate, but a fte r a ll, the fellow sh ip o f humble souls estab lishes the universal la w .wherein man may love his neighbor as h im self. T h is great conference is an im por tant w heel w ithin the m achinery o f international understanding. W e meet on a common ground, are benefited, become better acquainted, and carry a message o f confidence through the services offered by our profession to the entire civilized population. Adequate law s are essential to pro tect and promote the best that the pro fession has to offer. T h e w ords o f the im m ortal A braham Lincoln bespeak the adequacy o f law . “ I believe,” he said, “ each individual i:. n atu rally entitled to do as he pleases w ith h im self and the fr u it o f his labor so fa r as it in no wise in terferes w ith other m an’s rights. T h e rights o f people are protected by adequate laws. T h e liberties o f indi viduals are promoted when a civiliza tion protects these liberties.”
83
Experiences out o f the past teach that la w is the basis o f liberty and that a ll good la w aims to establish progress, prosperity and happiness; but the neces sities o f the present demand that the scope o f liberty be international, not local, and that legislation which aims at the betterment o f the group neces sarily curtails the liberties o f individ uals and minorities. L aw , w hether w ritten or unw ritten, has existed fro m time im m em orial. T h e origin o f w ritten la w is interesting as derived fro m the three fo llo w in g sources: 1. T h e H ebrew L aw , or the Bible, is the best authority ever w ritten. It sets fo rth a la w o f justice and equity and is the most p erfect code o f ethics ever conceived. 2. T h e Rom an L aw as compiled by Justinian in A . D . 5 2 7 - 5 6 5 in his Corpus Ju ris C ivilis. T h is is the source o f n early a ll modern la w . Ihne says, “ E very one o f us is benefited directly or indirectly by this legacy o f the Rom an people, a legacy as valuable as the lite ra ry and artistic models which w e owe to the great w riters and sculptors o f G reece.” A nd W o o d ro w W ilso n declares that Roman la w “has furnished Europe w ith many, i f not most, o f her principles o f private rights.” 3. T h e Com m on L aw o f England as incorporated in her M agna C harta. T his system o f la w has be come more than a riv a l o f the Roman L aw . W ith o u t this riv a lry , w e may never have experienced the opportuni ties and beneficent influences o f our present system. A ll la w as we have it is essentially a grow th , a historical de velopm ent through centuries, a w ork which must continue, yet n ever be com pleted, and that grow th depends fo r its efficacy on international cooperation. A n increased demand fo r legislation is inevitable, and the difficulty o f
84
The Journal o f the American Dental Association
securing good legislation cannot be de nied. M an y o f those seeking legisla tion do not understand w hat is the exact evil which they wish to eradicate or w h at good they desire to attain. If they succeed in discovering the source o f the evil, they seldom know the proper rem edy, and those w ho agree as to the end sought d iffer as to the means. It does not require much intelligence to discover a fa u lt or to criticize, but it usually requires a deal o f intelligence to correctly diagnose a social ailm ent and to prescribe proper legislation. Im provem ents in our methods o f legis lation are im perative— improvements that w ill adequately express the w ill o f the people. It has been difficult in every country to secure the ablest men as legislators. W e need the idealist to supply us w ith a goal and point out the higher ideal, which w ill raise man to a higher plane. A lthough the road to that ideal may be a toilsome and tortuous one, requiring a generation or more o f arduous efforts in education fo r its realization, the ultim ate goal is w o rthy o f the effort. O u r governm ent supports profitably research in many fields. W e w ould do w e ll to provide fo r research in legisla tion w ith the view to securing valuable knowledge on legal problems fo r the benefit o f our law -m aking bodies. H ow very valuable w ould be the reports and recommendations o f an unbiased nonpartisan board composed o f the ablest law yers, sociologists and econo mists o f our country constantly carrying on research w ork. I t w ou ld study social and economic conditions and seek out needed legislation. It w ould re view bills draw n by congressmen and lend advice before their presentation f o r enactment. It w ould point out dis crepancies in existing measures; con
sider petitions fro m groups dissatisfied, and make reports and recommendations o f prospective law s to congress in order that that body m ight have intelligent guidance in the final enactment o f a law . C reation o f this research board should precede any attem pt at recodifi cation o f our laws. T o this board should be assigned the task o f gathering in form ation on the present legal situa tion, o f interpreting the results found, o f making recommendations and o f de vising a plan fo r attaining them. D r. H arvey W . W ile y , fo rm e r chief o f the Bureau o f C hem istry in the D e partm ent o f A g ricu ltu re, has inter preted many law s affecting pure foods and drugs and has had some o f his opinions reversed by the department o f justice and the President. In discuss ing this one day, he said: “ T h e m atter o f interpreting law s is much like the story o f the little boy who was told by his teacher to read something fro m a prim er. T h e boy read as fo llo w s: “ ‘T h is is a w arm doughnut. Step on it.’ “ ‘W h y , Jo h n n ie,’ said the teacher, ‘T h a t can’t be right. L et me see your book.’ ” T h is is w hat she fo u n d : “T h is is a w orm . D o not step on it.” O u r program covers several phases o f legislation relative to dentistry and dental practice. T h e adoption o f all laws have been a process o f evolution. M any are inadequate. O u r legislative committee should be consulted more generally when law s are being fram ed or amended. Adequate dental law s are as necessary as progressive methods in dental practice. M ore u n ifo rm ity is needed. T h e final success o f a ll legislation
Proceedings o f the Seventh International Dental Congress
lies in the character o f our national constituency. “ It is the distinguishing happiness o f our governm ent that civil order should be the result o f choice and not o f necessity, and the common wishes o f the people become the la w o f the lan d ; their public prosperity and even existence very much depend upon the suitable fo rm in g o f the minds and morals o f its citizens.” T h is is the task o f education. I agree w ith P rofessor H olland o f the U niversity o f Nebraska: “ M en are
85
becoming more humane, more benevo lent and sympathetic, m ore re g a rd fu l o f the rights o f others, more sensible o f a common bond o f h u m anity; and a l though the paths are still toilsome and o f times discouraging, the race o f man is constantly reaching a higher level by rising to higher conceptions o f duty which in due time w ill find expression, embodiment and glorious fru itag e in the still higher and better la w o f the fu tu re, built upon a firm foundation o f equity and u tility .”
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS, SECTION X IV * By ROBERT T. OLIVER, D.D.S., F.A.C.D., D.S.M., New York City
T A K E pleasure in extending a hearty w elcom e to all members and guests o f Section X I V , M ilitary S u r gery. M ay the deliberations o f its ses sions in professional, m ilitary and scientific subjects be fra u g h t w ith signal success, prove o f appreciable value to the cause and develop a spirit o f fe llo w ship and m utual respect among the m ilitary men o f the w o rld . T h e Seventh International D ental Congress, an activity o f the Sesquicentennial held in celebration o f the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary o f the signing o f that great human document, T h e A m erican D eclaration o f Inde pendence, promises to m ark an im por tant epoch in the history o f dentistry. In the midst o f these shrines o f patriotic devotion, at the very threshhold o f L iberty, our hearts and our minds are filled w ith varied emotions. W e th rill w ith adm iration at the mental vision o f that wondrous day— the as-
I
* Section on Military Surgery.
sembled patriots w aiting turn to step up and affix their names to the docu m ent— tense m om en ts, those— dedicat ing their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the cause; yet, with happy repartee, relieving the situation and preserving the charm o f perfect dignified self-possession. T h e n : the rapid strident clatter o f the bell, peal ing fo rth that God-ordained message, molded around its flange: “ Proclaim liberty throughout a ll the land, and to a ll the inhabitants th ereo f.” Y o u , m y con freres fro m fo reig n lands, w here ere you be, who catch the spirit o f such contagious sentiment, join w ith us in mental review o f those momentous hap penings, that a ll may m arvel at the wonders w rou gh t on that occasion, which so w e ll have reawakened the w o rld , made incomparable changes in this fa ir land and given unheard o f op portunities fo r advancement to its people, w ithin so short a period. R ecalling our truant thoughts to the
82
idly as in the subjects to be considered by this section, and I m ay also say that there are none more im portant fo r the promotion o f the health and happiness o f the individual than these things that we are about to discuss. T h ere is much w ork to be done along educational lines, not only w ith the public, but also w ith our own and the medical profession, before our ideals w ill be reached. M an y m atters o f vital importance, not only fo r the benefit o f the public, but fo r that o f the profession as w e ll, must be considered here, and definite recommendations must be made to this Congress fo r final determ ination. Im portant questions relatin g to policies to be adopted fo r the conduct o f our ac tivities in the fu tu re must receive ear nest and thoug htfu l attention. W e are expected to fo rm u late w orkable plans fo r the encouragem ent, assistance and guidance o f those who w ill carry on public school, dispensary and health service w ork. I am sure much valuable in form ation w ill be derived fro m an exchange o f ideas and experiences. Probably the most vital and generally im portant proposition that w ill be brought before this Congress w ill be presented by our distinguished col leagues, D rs. Schaifer-Stuckert, Bruske
and Jessen, who have labored long and earnestly to promote the cause o f oral hygiene. I r e fe r to proposals o f the Hygiene Commission o f the F . D . I., passed at G eneva, Sw itzerland, last year. T h e carryin g into effect o f these proposals w ill m ark a long and distinct step in advance, and result in placing the oral health m ovem ent upon a firm foundation. I desire again to extend, on behalf o f the officers o f this section, personal greetings to our distinguished friends fro m abroad, and to express the hope that the time spent w ith us may be pleasant and enjoyable. T o the friends at home, who have so splendidly cooper ated w ith us, I w an t to express my deep appreciation fo r their helpfulness, kind ness and courtesy. I cannot close w ithout expressing the deep regret that w e a ll feel because o f the death o f our frien d , colleague and vice-president, D r. Charles H. O akm an, o f D etroit. D r. O akm an was one o f the pioneer w orkers in oral hygiene, as w e ll as one o f the outstanding mem bers o f the dental profession in other branches. A true frien d and a man o f sterling w orth and uprightness o f character, he w ill be missed by a wide circle o f friends.
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS, SECTION XIII* B y R O Y JAMES R IN E H A R T , D .D .S ., F .A .C .D ., Kansas City, Missouri
D istin g u ish e d G u ests a n d M e m b e rs o f the Seven th In te rn a tio n a l D e n ta l C o n g r e ss :
E C T I O N T h irteen brings you greetings. T hough sometimes called a doubtful num ber it represents, at
S
♦Dental
Legislation.
this time, la w and order, the basis of righteousness and o f m utual under standing. T h e officers appreciate to the fu llest extent the loyalty and faithfulness o f a ll who have consented to participate in this program . T h is is an opportu nity fo r a better and a broader under
Proceedings o f the Seventh International Dental Congress
standing o f the legal needs o f the profession. F orm er Secretary o f State, Charles Evans Hughes, in his address before the A m erican Society o f International L a w , w hen it convened in W ashington, is quoted as saying, “ A n international or w o rld code must result fro m a series o f conferences participated in by the na tions o f both the old w o rld and the new. Restate, amend and enlarge the universal law -treatin g international law as obligatory and meeting each other on an equal fo o tin g .” T h e convening o f the Seventh In ternational D ental Congress is signifi cant w ith the spirit o f these w ords o f M r. Hughes, and especially do w e trust that the nations here represented fe e l that they meet each other on an equal footing. Statesmen and leaders con vene, argue and arbitrate, but a fte r a ll, the fellow sh ip o f humble souls estab lishes the universal la w .wherein man may love his neighbor as h im self. T h is great conference is an im por tant w heel w ithin the m achinery o f international understanding. W e meet on a common ground, are benefited, become better acquainted, and carry a message o f confidence through the services offered by our profession to the entire civilized population. Adequate law s are essential to pro tect and promote the best that the pro fession has to offer. T h e w ords o f the im m ortal A braham Lincoln bespeak the adequacy o f law . “ I believe,” he said, “ each individual i:. n atu rally entitled to do as he pleases w ith h im self and the fr u it o f his labor so fa r as it in no wise in terferes w ith other m an’s rights. T h e rights o f people are protected by adequate laws. T h e liberties o f indi viduals are promoted when a civiliza tion protects these liberties.”
83
Experiences out o f the past teach that la w is the basis o f liberty and that a ll good la w aims to establish progress, prosperity and happiness; but the neces sities o f the present demand that the scope o f liberty be international, not local, and that legislation which aims at the betterment o f the group neces sarily curtails the liberties o f individ uals and minorities. L aw , w hether w ritten or unw ritten, has existed fro m time im m em orial. T h e origin o f w ritten la w is interesting as derived fro m the three fo llo w in g sources: 1. T h e H ebrew L aw , or the Bible, is the best authority ever w ritten. It sets fo rth a la w o f justice and equity and is the most p erfect code o f ethics ever conceived. 2. T h e Rom an L aw as compiled by Justinian in A . D . 5 2 7 - 5 6 5 in his Corpus Ju ris C ivilis. T h is is the source o f n early a ll modern la w . Ihne says, “ E very one o f us is benefited directly or indirectly by this legacy o f the Rom an people, a legacy as valuable as the lite ra ry and artistic models which w e owe to the great w riters and sculptors o f G reece.” A nd W o o d ro w W ilso n declares that Roman la w “has furnished Europe w ith many, i f not most, o f her principles o f private rights.” 3. T h e Com m on L aw o f England as incorporated in her M agna C harta. T his system o f la w has be come more than a riv a l o f the Roman L aw . W ith o u t this riv a lry , w e may never have experienced the opportuni ties and beneficent influences o f our present system. A ll la w as we have it is essentially a grow th , a historical de velopm ent through centuries, a w ork which must continue, yet n ever be com pleted, and that grow th depends fo r its efficacy on international cooperation. A n increased demand fo r legislation is inevitable, and the difficulty o f
84
The Journal o f the American Dental Association
securing good legislation cannot be de nied. M an y o f those seeking legisla tion do not understand w hat is the exact evil which they wish to eradicate or w h at good they desire to attain. If they succeed in discovering the source o f the evil, they seldom know the proper rem edy, and those w ho agree as to the end sought d iffer as to the means. It does not require much intelligence to discover a fa u lt or to criticize, but it usually requires a deal o f intelligence to correctly diagnose a social ailm ent and to prescribe proper legislation. Im provem ents in our methods o f legis lation are im perative— improvements that w ill adequately express the w ill o f the people. It has been difficult in every country to secure the ablest men as legislators. W e need the idealist to supply us w ith a goal and point out the higher ideal, which w ill raise man to a higher plane. A lthough the road to that ideal may be a toilsome and tortuous one, requiring a generation or more o f arduous efforts in education fo r its realization, the ultim ate goal is w o rthy o f the effort. O u r governm ent supports profitably research in many fields. W e w ould do w e ll to provide fo r research in legisla tion w ith the view to securing valuable knowledge on legal problems fo r the benefit o f our law -m aking bodies. H ow very valuable w ould be the reports and recommendations o f an unbiased nonpartisan board composed o f the ablest law yers, sociologists and econo mists o f our country constantly carrying on research w ork. I t w ou ld study social and economic conditions and seek out needed legislation. It w ould re view bills draw n by congressmen and lend advice before their presentation f o r enactment. It w ould point out dis crepancies in existing measures; con
sider petitions fro m groups dissatisfied, and make reports and recommendations o f prospective law s to congress in order that that body m ight have intelligent guidance in the final enactment o f a law . C reation o f this research board should precede any attem pt at recodifi cation o f our laws. T o this board should be assigned the task o f gathering in form ation on the present legal situa tion, o f interpreting the results found, o f making recommendations and o f de vising a plan fo r attaining them. D r. H arvey W . W ile y , fo rm e r chief o f the Bureau o f C hem istry in the D e partm ent o f A g ricu ltu re, has inter preted many law s affecting pure foods and drugs and has had some o f his opinions reversed by the department o f justice and the President. In discuss ing this one day, he said: “ T h e m atter o f interpreting law s is much like the story o f the little boy who was told by his teacher to read something fro m a prim er. T h e boy read as fo llo w s: “ ‘T h is is a w arm doughnut. Step on it.’ “ ‘W h y , Jo h n n ie,’ said the teacher, ‘T h a t can’t be right. L et me see your book.’ ” T h is is w hat she fo u n d : “T h is is a w orm . D o not step on it.” O u r program covers several phases o f legislation relative to dentistry and dental practice. T h e adoption o f all laws have been a process o f evolution. M any are inadequate. O u r legislative committee should be consulted more generally when law s are being fram ed or amended. Adequate dental law s are as necessary as progressive methods in dental practice. M ore u n ifo rm ity is needed. T h e final success o f a ll legislation
Proceedings o f the Seventh International Dental Congress
lies in the character o f our national constituency. “ It is the distinguishing happiness o f our governm ent that civil order should be the result o f choice and not o f necessity, and the common wishes o f the people become the la w o f the lan d ; their public prosperity and even existence very much depend upon the suitable fo rm in g o f the minds and morals o f its citizens.” T h is is the task o f education. I agree w ith P rofessor H olland o f the U niversity o f Nebraska: “ M en are
85
becoming more humane, more benevo lent and sympathetic, m ore re g a rd fu l o f the rights o f others, more sensible o f a common bond o f h u m anity; and a l though the paths are still toilsome and o f times discouraging, the race o f man is constantly reaching a higher level by rising to higher conceptions o f duty which in due time w ill find expression, embodiment and glorious fru itag e in the still higher and better la w o f the fu tu re, built upon a firm foundation o f equity and u tility .”
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS, SECTION X IV * By ROBERT T. OLIVER, D.D.S., F.A.C.D., D.S.M., New York City
T A K E pleasure in extending a hearty w elcom e to all members and guests o f Section X I V , M ilitary S u r gery. M ay the deliberations o f its ses sions in professional, m ilitary and scientific subjects be fra u g h t w ith signal success, prove o f appreciable value to the cause and develop a spirit o f fe llo w ship and m utual respect among the m ilitary men o f the w o rld . T h e Seventh International D ental Congress, an activity o f the Sesquicentennial held in celebration o f the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary o f the signing o f that great human document, T h e A m erican D eclaration o f Inde pendence, promises to m ark an im por tant epoch in the history o f dentistry. In the midst o f these shrines o f patriotic devotion, at the very threshhold o f L iberty, our hearts and our minds are filled w ith varied emotions. W e th rill w ith adm iration at the mental vision o f that wondrous day— the as-
I
* Section on Military Surgery.
sembled patriots w aiting turn to step up and affix their names to the docu m ent— tense m om en ts, those— dedicat ing their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the cause; yet, with happy repartee, relieving the situation and preserving the charm o f perfect dignified self-possession. T h e n : the rapid strident clatter o f the bell, peal ing fo rth that God-ordained message, molded around its flange: “ Proclaim liberty throughout a ll the land, and to a ll the inhabitants th ereo f.” Y o u , m y con freres fro m fo reig n lands, w here ere you be, who catch the spirit o f such contagious sentiment, join w ith us in mental review o f those momentous hap penings, that a ll may m arvel at the wonders w rou gh t on that occasion, which so w e ll have reawakened the w o rld , made incomparable changes in this fa ir land and given unheard o f op portunities fo r advancement to its people, w ithin so short a period. R ecalling our truant thoughts to the