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Christmas Seals for 1935
The Journal of the American Dental Association 212 E ast Superior St., Chicago, 111.
C. N . J
o h n so n ,
Editor
Published by the Am erican Dental Association A ll expressions of opinions and all statements of supposed facts are published on the authority of the w riter over whose signature they appear, and are not to be regarded as expressing the view s of the American Dental Association, unless such statements or opinions have been adopted by the Association. Communications intended for publication in the scientific or literary pages o f T h e Journal should be addressed to the Editor. A ll advertising or business matter should be sent to the Business M anager. Subscription is included in the annual membership dues. T h e subscription rate to non members is $5.00 a year in advance, this rate applying to both domestic and foreign sub scribers. A ll foreign subscriptions are to be paid in United States money.
Editorials THE 1935 SESSION OF THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION N ovem ber 4-8, 1935, at N ew Orleans was held one of the most interesting annual sessions that this organization has ever had. T he Committee on Local Arrangem ents had exerted themselves to the utmost to make provision for the entertainment of the mem bers and visitors, and the stage was appropriately set for the con venient functioning of all of the activities of the meeting. The President’s address at the first general meeting by Frank M. Casto was a m asterpiece of logic and fact, and it should forever si lence the advocates of insurance dentistry. T he address may be found in this issue of T h e JO U R N A L . Read it. T he testimonial luncheon in honor of H arvey J . Burkhart, M on day noon, by the Past Presidents, Board of Trustees and House of Delegates was a most delightful affair, with a number of distin guished speakers to grace the occasion. T he luncheon was under the direction of H arry Bear, one of the Trustees. T h e entertainment M onday night at the M unicipal Auditorium , Jour. A .D .A ., V ol. 22, D e c em b e r , 1935
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The Journal of the American Dental Association
consisting of an old plantation dance, was a most elaborate presenta tion of typical Southern scenes interspersed with N egro melodies that were delightfully entertaining. The general meetings were characterized by breadth of thought on the current topics of the day as they relate to the policies of the profession and to society at large. The second general meeting, on Tuesday evening, was addressed by two outstanding members of the Am erican M edical Association, Jam es L. M cLester, president of the A .M .A ., and R. G. Leland, director of the Bureau of M ed i cal Economics, A .M .A . T he form er spoke on “T he Physician Looks at Dental Education,” and the latter on “ M edicine and So cial Changes.” Each man handled his subject with earnestness and vision, and it was a treat to listen to them. T he one on W ednesday night was addressed by Past-President A. C. W herry on the sub ject “A re the Science and A rt of Am erican Dentistry to be Sacri ficed to a False Panacea?” When D r. W herry finished with his presentation, there was little doubt left in the minds of the listeners as to his attitude on the question of panel or state or insurance den tistry. H e recited many significant experiences of his visit to Europe in the summer of 1935, when he interviewed all classes of citizens as well as many dentists on the subject, in no single instance finding any reaction in favor of such a system. The section meetings were unusually well attended and the in terest was m anifest throughout. The scientific and commercial ex hibits were well staged and were very interesting, the municipal auditorium furnishing excellent facilities for this purpose. The H ouse of D elegates passed some constructive legislation, the details of which cannot be outlined here. A t least it should be said that the D elegates entered energetically into the task of legislating the various issues under consideration and with a seriousness of purpose that augured well for the constructive development of the organization. In this connection, it should also be said for the benefit of the Association that the Board of Trustees devoted themselves whole heartedly to the task of administering their high office with an in sight and devotion that demonstrated the fact that the Association was in safe hands with the personnel of the board as ordinarily con
Editorial Department
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stituted. N o one can follow the deliberations of this body without being impressed with the seriousness of the obligation involved in serving on the Board. T o go through one annual session with its various sittings is to expend an amount of energy that is enough to drain the physical and mental resources of any body of men, and this does not take into account the midwinter meeting that is always held between the annual sessions. M em bers of the Association sometimes envy the Trustees the position they hold, but if these same members could have a taste of what the Trustees go through at each session they would sing a different song. T h is service comes nearer being an altruistic one than falls to the lot of most men, and our members generally should feel under the deepest obligation to the men who thus unselfishly serve them. T h e attendance at N ew Orleans was larger than had been antici pated, but at this w riting the exact figures are not available. T he newly elected officers are as follow s: President, G eorge B. W inter, St. Louis, M o .; President Elect, Leroy M . S. M iner, Boston, M a ss.; V ice Presidents, Fred J . W olfe, N ew Orleans, Fred Adams, N ew Y ork City, and H om er B. R ob ison, Hutchinson, K an.; Secretary, H arry B. Pinney, Chicago, 111.; Treasurer, Roscoe H . Volland, Iowa City, Iowa. Oakland, C alif., was selected as the next place of meeting. C H R IS T M A S SE A L S F O R 1935 Relatively few of our members actually realize the far reaching effects of the work that is being accomplished as the result of the fund that is raised annually from the Christm as seals. Only the members of the R elief Commission, the R elief Com mittee and our executive officers can have any conception of the fine work that is being done for the relief of distress among our mem bers. Some of the most pathetic incidents in the lives of the un fortunate in our ranks are almost daily being brought to light, and as often as these cases are referred to the R elief Commission, they are carefully and promptly investigated and acted on accordingly. In no activity of our Association or in no activity of life generally
2130
The Journal of the American D ental Association
can there be found a more beneficent service than that represented by the administration of the R elief Fund. In numerous instances where illness or other exigency has suddenly come to one of our members, the R elief Fund is the only thing that has stood between the unfortunate member and the most abject want. Emergencies may arise in the lives of any of us, and adversity is no respecter of persons. Out of dozens of such cases, a single incident brought to the attention of Dr. Pinney, our Secretary, may be mentioned: In 1931, one of our members contracted tuberculosis. L ike many others, he had let his insurance lapse. T he outlook seemed dark. Physicians informed the sick man that conditions in his environ ment happened to be particularly bad for tuberculosis. But what was he to do? H is economic reserve was not sufficient to permit him to go to a more favorable climate. A t this juncture, he thought of the R elief Fund. A pplication was made to the relief agencies of his local society, and by them to the R elief Commission of the Am erican Dental Association. Promptly, he was sent to a sanita rium in the west, where he remained for one year, the relief checks coming to him regularly each month. A t the end of this time, he was reported in good physical condition, but felt that another year in a favorable climate would be advisable. H e secured employment in another sanitarium in the west, where he worked and rested for another year, at the end of which time he was informed that it was perfectly safe for him to resume his practice in his own state. H e has now been in active practice for nearly a year, has been married and is pronounced in perfect health. Lest this all-too-brief recital may not sufficiently sink into the consciousness of some of our members who have thought of the relief fund as something remote and not particularly concerned with their own individual responsibility in the matter, or with their personal obligation to support the fund with a liberal con tribution to the Christm as seals fund, we are permitted to identify the member whose experience has here been recited. T he man who has benefited in this concrete way is D avid M . Annenberg of Cin cinnati, Ohio. L et those who have for any reason been lukewarm about the necessity for this fund, or who have been indifferent to
Editorial .Department
2131
the concrete benefits to be obtained from its operation, ponder care fully the experience of Dr. Annenberg. It m ight also be well to remember that this is only one isolated case out of scores in which human life has been saved and sweetened through the beneficence of the R elief Fund. M any of those who have been helped have for one reason or another hesitated to have their affliction known, and no one can ever tell the extent of this benef icence except the officers of the Association, the R elief Com mis sioners and Committees and those most intimately connected with the administration of the fund. E ach year as Christm as approaches, a large corps of w illing helpers are busy in the Central Office of the Association taking care of the clerical work involved in sending out and collecting for the seals, and it is a labor most cheerfully performed. W hat other sea son of the year is so propitious as this for exhibiting the better im pulses of our common humanity? Christm as is the emblem of charity and good will. Around the blazing hearths of thousands and thousands of our fellowmen, there gather the dear ones from far and near to m ingle in the blessed sentiment of the Yuletide. T h e mistletoe and holly, the clarion bells tingling in the ambient air, the prattle of little children and the shrill cries of merriment and youth all typify the aura of Christmas. T he gentle sacred hush that comes over the hearts of men and women in contemplation of this our one universal birthday of Christendom sanctifies our souls and makes us more nearly akin to the divinity that is in the minds and impulses of old and young, of poor and rich alike. A ll hail to this benevolent Prince of Peace, the typical embodi ment of all that is tender and sublime, of all that is lowly and noble, of all that is forgiving and charitable, of all that sweetens the lives of men and women and makes them forget the sordid things of life. Christm as is the great purifier, the great sanctifier, the great de liverer. W ithout Christmas, it is conceivable that we might abandon our ideals and revert back to barbarism. W hen the Christmas seals come to your office or your home, give from the abundance of your heart. W e do not ask that you “give till it hurts.” T h is proverbial and pressing appeal is not necessary,
2132
The Journal of the American Dental Association
for the reason that it w ill not hurt any one to give a dollar. But the aggregate of a dollar for each member would soon assure the R elief Fund of sufficient reserve to am ply care for every member in dis tress. Let us make it 100 per cent this year and thereby gladden the hearts of every one who may be in distress. P R A C T IC E IN P A R A G R A P H S This department is intended for busy readers. I t aims to tell a vivid story in a few words. Items should be of a practical character, and free from padding— not more than a paragraph or two. We exact no limit, but two hundred words can tell most of these stories. Send in your ideas; they vJill be welcome.
Surgical Files— These instruments can be used advantageously for smoothing down the sharp edges and projecting points of the bone without raising the mucoperiosteal flaps. Surgical files can be readily introduced between the bone and the periosteum without causing any trauma.— Jam es L . Zemsky, 147 Fourth Ave., New York City. Importance of Careful Examination— As the most deadly tumors (sarcomas) are usually not painful in the early stages, every mouth should be carefully examined for the presence of such growths. These are not infrequently situated in positions not easily accessible to sight and touch and, owing to the absence of pain, may entirely escape the patient’s notice until they have existed for some time and have attained con siderable size, the situation being hopeless.— Jam es L . Zemsky, 147 Fourth Ave., N ew York City. Extraction of Deciduous Molars — Ju st prior to the exfoliation of each deciduous molar, there occurs a rapid and pronounced elongation of the tooth, sufficient to prevent the neighboring teeth from functioning with their antagonists. Since this phenomenon is a natural step to aid in the acceleration of vertical growth, in the tran sition to a very different adult occlusion, such teeth should be retained until the last moment of tolerance of the patient.—Frank A. Delabarre, 520 Beacon St., Boston, M ass. Aids in Treatment of Stomatitis— Patients with stomatitis presenting swollen submaxillary lymph glands, fever and other constitutional symptoms should be advised to keep the bowels open, subsist on liquid diet and take as much orange or lemon juice as they can. Pain may be relieved by the administration of various anodynes. Capsules made up of 3 grains each of chlorbutanol and acetphenetidin and 1 grain of citrated caffeine usually prove quite efficacious when taken internally at three hour intervals.— Jam es L . Zemsky, 147 Fourth Ave., New York City. Thoughtfulness Vs. Indifference— Sometime soon, when attending a dental con vention, send a few souvenir postal cards home to a few “ shut in” patients or friends, not as an experiment, because the effectiveness has proved to be far beyond the experi Jour. A .D .A ., V ol. 22, D ecem b er, 1935
C. N . J
o h n so n ,
Editor
Published by the Am erican Dental Association A ll expressions of opinions and all statements of supposed facts are published on the authority of the w riter over whose signature they appear, and are not to be regarded as expressing the view s of the American Dental Association, unless such statements or opinions have been adopted by the Association. Communications intended for publication in the scientific or literary pages o f T h e Journal should be addressed to the Editor. A ll advertising or business matter should be sent to the Business M anager. Subscription is included in the annual membership dues. T h e subscription rate to non members is $5.00 a year in advance, this rate applying to both domestic and foreign sub scribers. A ll foreign subscriptions are to be paid in United States money.
Editorials THE 1935 SESSION OF THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION N ovem ber 4-8, 1935, at N ew Orleans was held one of the most interesting annual sessions that this organization has ever had. T he Committee on Local Arrangem ents had exerted themselves to the utmost to make provision for the entertainment of the mem bers and visitors, and the stage was appropriately set for the con venient functioning of all of the activities of the meeting. The President’s address at the first general meeting by Frank M. Casto was a m asterpiece of logic and fact, and it should forever si lence the advocates of insurance dentistry. T he address may be found in this issue of T h e JO U R N A L . Read it. T he testimonial luncheon in honor of H arvey J . Burkhart, M on day noon, by the Past Presidents, Board of Trustees and House of Delegates was a most delightful affair, with a number of distin guished speakers to grace the occasion. T he luncheon was under the direction of H arry Bear, one of the Trustees. T h e entertainment M onday night at the M unicipal Auditorium , Jour. A .D .A ., V ol. 22, D e c em b e r , 1935
2127
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The Journal of the American Dental Association
consisting of an old plantation dance, was a most elaborate presenta tion of typical Southern scenes interspersed with N egro melodies that were delightfully entertaining. The general meetings were characterized by breadth of thought on the current topics of the day as they relate to the policies of the profession and to society at large. The second general meeting, on Tuesday evening, was addressed by two outstanding members of the Am erican M edical Association, Jam es L. M cLester, president of the A .M .A ., and R. G. Leland, director of the Bureau of M ed i cal Economics, A .M .A . T he form er spoke on “T he Physician Looks at Dental Education,” and the latter on “ M edicine and So cial Changes.” Each man handled his subject with earnestness and vision, and it was a treat to listen to them. T he one on W ednesday night was addressed by Past-President A. C. W herry on the sub ject “A re the Science and A rt of Am erican Dentistry to be Sacri ficed to a False Panacea?” When D r. W herry finished with his presentation, there was little doubt left in the minds of the listeners as to his attitude on the question of panel or state or insurance den tistry. H e recited many significant experiences of his visit to Europe in the summer of 1935, when he interviewed all classes of citizens as well as many dentists on the subject, in no single instance finding any reaction in favor of such a system. The section meetings were unusually well attended and the in terest was m anifest throughout. The scientific and commercial ex hibits were well staged and were very interesting, the municipal auditorium furnishing excellent facilities for this purpose. The H ouse of D elegates passed some constructive legislation, the details of which cannot be outlined here. A t least it should be said that the D elegates entered energetically into the task of legislating the various issues under consideration and with a seriousness of purpose that augured well for the constructive development of the organization. In this connection, it should also be said for the benefit of the Association that the Board of Trustees devoted themselves whole heartedly to the task of administering their high office with an in sight and devotion that demonstrated the fact that the Association was in safe hands with the personnel of the board as ordinarily con
Editorial Department
2129
stituted. N o one can follow the deliberations of this body without being impressed with the seriousness of the obligation involved in serving on the Board. T o go through one annual session with its various sittings is to expend an amount of energy that is enough to drain the physical and mental resources of any body of men, and this does not take into account the midwinter meeting that is always held between the annual sessions. M em bers of the Association sometimes envy the Trustees the position they hold, but if these same members could have a taste of what the Trustees go through at each session they would sing a different song. T h is service comes nearer being an altruistic one than falls to the lot of most men, and our members generally should feel under the deepest obligation to the men who thus unselfishly serve them. T h e attendance at N ew Orleans was larger than had been antici pated, but at this w riting the exact figures are not available. T he newly elected officers are as follow s: President, G eorge B. W inter, St. Louis, M o .; President Elect, Leroy M . S. M iner, Boston, M a ss.; V ice Presidents, Fred J . W olfe, N ew Orleans, Fred Adams, N ew Y ork City, and H om er B. R ob ison, Hutchinson, K an.; Secretary, H arry B. Pinney, Chicago, 111.; Treasurer, Roscoe H . Volland, Iowa City, Iowa. Oakland, C alif., was selected as the next place of meeting. C H R IS T M A S SE A L S F O R 1935 Relatively few of our members actually realize the far reaching effects of the work that is being accomplished as the result of the fund that is raised annually from the Christm as seals. Only the members of the R elief Commission, the R elief Com mittee and our executive officers can have any conception of the fine work that is being done for the relief of distress among our mem bers. Some of the most pathetic incidents in the lives of the un fortunate in our ranks are almost daily being brought to light, and as often as these cases are referred to the R elief Commission, they are carefully and promptly investigated and acted on accordingly. In no activity of our Association or in no activity of life generally
2130
The Journal of the American D ental Association
can there be found a more beneficent service than that represented by the administration of the R elief Fund. In numerous instances where illness or other exigency has suddenly come to one of our members, the R elief Fund is the only thing that has stood between the unfortunate member and the most abject want. Emergencies may arise in the lives of any of us, and adversity is no respecter of persons. Out of dozens of such cases, a single incident brought to the attention of Dr. Pinney, our Secretary, may be mentioned: In 1931, one of our members contracted tuberculosis. L ike many others, he had let his insurance lapse. T he outlook seemed dark. Physicians informed the sick man that conditions in his environ ment happened to be particularly bad for tuberculosis. But what was he to do? H is economic reserve was not sufficient to permit him to go to a more favorable climate. A t this juncture, he thought of the R elief Fund. A pplication was made to the relief agencies of his local society, and by them to the R elief Commission of the Am erican Dental Association. Promptly, he was sent to a sanita rium in the west, where he remained for one year, the relief checks coming to him regularly each month. A t the end of this time, he was reported in good physical condition, but felt that another year in a favorable climate would be advisable. H e secured employment in another sanitarium in the west, where he worked and rested for another year, at the end of which time he was informed that it was perfectly safe for him to resume his practice in his own state. H e has now been in active practice for nearly a year, has been married and is pronounced in perfect health. Lest this all-too-brief recital may not sufficiently sink into the consciousness of some of our members who have thought of the relief fund as something remote and not particularly concerned with their own individual responsibility in the matter, or with their personal obligation to support the fund with a liberal con tribution to the Christm as seals fund, we are permitted to identify the member whose experience has here been recited. T he man who has benefited in this concrete way is D avid M . Annenberg of Cin cinnati, Ohio. L et those who have for any reason been lukewarm about the necessity for this fund, or who have been indifferent to
Editorial .Department
2131
the concrete benefits to be obtained from its operation, ponder care fully the experience of Dr. Annenberg. It m ight also be well to remember that this is only one isolated case out of scores in which human life has been saved and sweetened through the beneficence of the R elief Fund. M any of those who have been helped have for one reason or another hesitated to have their affliction known, and no one can ever tell the extent of this benef icence except the officers of the Association, the R elief Com mis sioners and Committees and those most intimately connected with the administration of the fund. E ach year as Christm as approaches, a large corps of w illing helpers are busy in the Central Office of the Association taking care of the clerical work involved in sending out and collecting for the seals, and it is a labor most cheerfully performed. W hat other sea son of the year is so propitious as this for exhibiting the better im pulses of our common humanity? Christm as is the emblem of charity and good will. Around the blazing hearths of thousands and thousands of our fellowmen, there gather the dear ones from far and near to m ingle in the blessed sentiment of the Yuletide. T h e mistletoe and holly, the clarion bells tingling in the ambient air, the prattle of little children and the shrill cries of merriment and youth all typify the aura of Christmas. T he gentle sacred hush that comes over the hearts of men and women in contemplation of this our one universal birthday of Christendom sanctifies our souls and makes us more nearly akin to the divinity that is in the minds and impulses of old and young, of poor and rich alike. A ll hail to this benevolent Prince of Peace, the typical embodi ment of all that is tender and sublime, of all that is lowly and noble, of all that is forgiving and charitable, of all that sweetens the lives of men and women and makes them forget the sordid things of life. Christm as is the great purifier, the great sanctifier, the great de liverer. W ithout Christmas, it is conceivable that we might abandon our ideals and revert back to barbarism. W hen the Christmas seals come to your office or your home, give from the abundance of your heart. W e do not ask that you “give till it hurts.” T h is proverbial and pressing appeal is not necessary,
2132
The Journal of the American Dental Association
for the reason that it w ill not hurt any one to give a dollar. But the aggregate of a dollar for each member would soon assure the R elief Fund of sufficient reserve to am ply care for every member in dis tress. Let us make it 100 per cent this year and thereby gladden the hearts of every one who may be in distress. P R A C T IC E IN P A R A G R A P H S This department is intended for busy readers. I t aims to tell a vivid story in a few words. Items should be of a practical character, and free from padding— not more than a paragraph or two. We exact no limit, but two hundred words can tell most of these stories. Send in your ideas; they vJill be welcome.
Surgical Files— These instruments can be used advantageously for smoothing down the sharp edges and projecting points of the bone without raising the mucoperiosteal flaps. Surgical files can be readily introduced between the bone and the periosteum without causing any trauma.— Jam es L . Zemsky, 147 Fourth Ave., New York City. Importance of Careful Examination— As the most deadly tumors (sarcomas) are usually not painful in the early stages, every mouth should be carefully examined for the presence of such growths. These are not infrequently situated in positions not easily accessible to sight and touch and, owing to the absence of pain, may entirely escape the patient’s notice until they have existed for some time and have attained con siderable size, the situation being hopeless.— Jam es L . Zemsky, 147 Fourth Ave., N ew York City. Extraction of Deciduous Molars — Ju st prior to the exfoliation of each deciduous molar, there occurs a rapid and pronounced elongation of the tooth, sufficient to prevent the neighboring teeth from functioning with their antagonists. Since this phenomenon is a natural step to aid in the acceleration of vertical growth, in the tran sition to a very different adult occlusion, such teeth should be retained until the last moment of tolerance of the patient.—Frank A. Delabarre, 520 Beacon St., Boston, M ass. Aids in Treatment of Stomatitis— Patients with stomatitis presenting swollen submaxillary lymph glands, fever and other constitutional symptoms should be advised to keep the bowels open, subsist on liquid diet and take as much orange or lemon juice as they can. Pain may be relieved by the administration of various anodynes. Capsules made up of 3 grains each of chlorbutanol and acetphenetidin and 1 grain of citrated caffeine usually prove quite efficacious when taken internally at three hour intervals.— Jam es L . Zemsky, 147 Fourth Ave., New York City. Thoughtfulness Vs. Indifference— Sometime soon, when attending a dental con vention, send a few souvenir postal cards home to a few “ shut in” patients or friends, not as an experiment, because the effectiveness has proved to be far beyond the experi Jour. A .D .A ., V ol. 22, D ecem b er, 1935