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Pay Your Debts
M E M P H IS ON T H E M ISSISSIPPI Seventy-Third Annual Session, Am erican Dental Association Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 19-23, 1931
1554 The Journal of the American Dental Association
The Journal o f the American Dental Association 212 East Superior St., Chicago, Illinois
C. N. J o h n s o n , Editor Published by the Am erican Dental Association A ll expressions o f opinions and all statements o f supposed facts are published on the authority o f th e.w riter over whose signature they appear, and are not to be regarded as expressing the view s o f the Am erican 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 J o u r n a l should be addressed to the Editor. A ll advertising or business matters should be sent to the Business M anager. Subscription is included in the annual membership dues. T o nonmembers livin g in the United States or its possessions, the price is $2.50 a year in advance; Canada, $3.00; Australia, $4.00 ; other countries, $3.25. A ll foreign subscriptions are to be paid in United States money.
Editorials T H E M E M P H IS M E E T IN G In a little more than two months from the date of this issue, the A m erican Dental Association w ill convene for its 1931 Session. A lrea d y the L ocal Comm ittee has the situation w ell in hand, and with the energy characteristic of this splendid group of men, we m ay look forward with confidence to the stage setting for the next meeting. T h e fact should be em phasized that at each annual ses sion the chief burden of preparation falls on the L ocal Committee. T h e rank and file of our membership have not the least conception of the m anifold duties that devolve on the Comm ittee from the very day of their appointment till the final adjournment at the close o f the meeting. T h e only men who really visualize this are the ones who have served on similar committees at previous meet ings, and the marvel is that year after year different groups of men m ay be found who bid so loyally for the privilege of holding the meeting in their favorite city. T h e only reason is that there is that splendid thing in the hearts of men called local pride whereby the 1555
1556
The Journal of the American D ental Association
citizens of a favorite city are w illin g to sacrifice individual com fort for the public good. F or the com ing session, we have the assurance of our officers that, as far as the L ocal Comm ittee is concerned, everything hum anly possible is being done to make perfect the arrangements for the 1931 meeting, and the entire organization is under deep obligation for the work already done by that body. T h e program for the general sessions and the various section meetings is being brought to a favorable issue. T h e reports from the section officers w ould indicate that unusual preparation is being m ade for the scientific sessions, and no matter in what department of our work a member m ay be interested, he w ill be assured of am ple entertainment and instruction. O u r President, Robert T o d d O liver, has been very active dur ing the past year in visiting our state and district organizations, and has through that m edium made contact with very m any o f the leaders of the profession, thus eliciting much interest in the meet ing. A n d in this connection, here is another service the exactions of which can scarcely be realized by the membership as a whole. T h e President is called on to devote much of his time and energy to the welfare of the Association at the expense of his personal interests, and he does it w illingly and gladly as his contribution to the upbuilding of organized dentistry. O u r Association has been fortunate in the character of men w hom it has selected to head the organization, and we bespeak for our present incumbent the hearty support of every loyal member of the Association. T h e general meetings of the M em ph is Session promise to be more than ordinarily entertaining. T h is part of the program is largely under the direction of the President and the Secretary, and w e can vouch for the fact that during the present administra tion these men have devoted their utmost energy toward the prob lem o f securing the best available talent.
E ver since the Denver
meeting, our very efficient secretary, D r. H arry B. Pinney, has been canvassing the situation for the most acceptable entertainment, and it is safe to promise that when the general meetings convene, there w ill be provided for our members and invited guests a program
1557
Editorial Department
that w ill prove a landmark in the progress of organized dentistry. T h e clinical program is shaping up in acceptable order, and this most practical of all our activities promises to maintain the high order of excellence that has always characterized it. T h e entertainment of our members in the way of social events and sports is never neglected in our program, and with the cordial hospitality of the proverbial Sunny South, there is every assurance that the meeting at M em ph is w ill prove one of the most profitable and pleasant of all that have been held.
Plan to go to M em ph is
and accept the hospitality that is assured by the fulfilment of the program already provided. A P O S S IB L E E X P L A N A T I O N
OF M O T T L E D E N A M E L
F or years, the subject of mottled enamel has concerned the dental profession, and, from time to time, articles have appeared in our literature dealing with this most distressing malady. Frederick S. M c K a y has probably devoted as much time as anyone to its study.
In 1909, the late G . V . Black went to Colorado to investi
gate the subject in conjunction w ith D r. M c K a y , and ever since that time, the latter, at various intervals, has written on the subject. Others have occasionally referred to the question in our literature, but, till quite recently, no one has offered a specific solution o f the difficulty.
From the very first, it was suspected that the water
supply was accountable for the trouble, but no one, as far as we know, had designated the particular element in the water that did the damage. I t has remained for an industrial chemist, H . V . Churchill, of the A lu m in u m Com pany of A m erica, to suggest a possible ex planation.
In a more or less detailed statement to the Associated
Press, M r . Churchill outlined his ideas as first publicly expressed at a session of the A m erican Chem ical Society, M arch 21, 1931, in w hich he attributed the phenomenon of mottled enamel to the pres ence of fluorin in the water supply, and he goes on to study the manifestations and percentages o f fluorin in the water of different localities.
1558
The Journal of the American Dental Association
W h ile the Associated Press article quite naturally does not treat the subject from the point of view of the dental research worker, and w hile further investigation w ill be required to estab lish definitely the causal relationship between mottled enamel and the influence of fluorin, at least we can say that this theory offers us the first plausible explanation that we have had as to the specific factor in this disfiguring affliction. Interest in the subject is spread ing as is evident in the two final paragraphs of the Associated Press article, which are as fo llo w s: Subsequent to this announcement, Dr. Margaret Cammack Smith of the Uni versity of Arizona has reported her work on the possible correlation of fluorine in drinking water with the mottled enamel defect as it has occurred in Arizona. Intense interest in Churchill’s discovery has been evidenced by authorities in public health work, dental research and municipal water treatment and analysis. The revelation that fluorine in drinking water is responsible for the permanent disfigurement of thousands of children and adults imposes a new duty on those who are responsible for the quality of water supplies. Hitherto, processes of chlorination and clarification have been deemed sufficient in water purification, but now an addi tional control is necessary. Chlorination solved the problem of typhoid. The control of fluorine concentration so that it never exceeds one part per million will solve this age old problem of mottled enamel.
P A Y Y O U R DEBTS Failure to keep an obligation is one of the besetting sins of humanity. I f you owe a man money, pay it. I f you owe him your allegiance, see that he has it. I f you owe him a favor, grant it. I f you have given him a promise, see that it is kept. I f by any chance you have been inveigled into prom ising a difficult or unreasonable thing, never mind, keep your promise— it may make you more care ful about promising again. T o honor an obligation is one of the prime essentials to the maintenance of character. T o hedge on an obligation is to begin a m oral disintegration that m ay prove fundamental. T o gain the reputation of always paying your debts is one of the greatest assets of economic or professional life. N o other one thing w ill so surely anchor you in the public esteem as the reputation of invariably honoring your obligation, or paying your debts.
1554 The Journal of the American Dental Association
The Journal o f the American Dental Association 212 East Superior St., Chicago, Illinois
C. N. J o h n s o n , Editor Published by the Am erican Dental Association A ll expressions o f opinions and all statements o f supposed facts are published on the authority o f th e.w riter over whose signature they appear, and are not to be regarded as expressing the view s o f the Am erican 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 J o u r n a l should be addressed to the Editor. A ll advertising or business matters should be sent to the Business M anager. Subscription is included in the annual membership dues. T o nonmembers livin g in the United States or its possessions, the price is $2.50 a year in advance; Canada, $3.00; Australia, $4.00 ; other countries, $3.25. A ll foreign subscriptions are to be paid in United States money.
Editorials T H E M E M P H IS M E E T IN G In a little more than two months from the date of this issue, the A m erican Dental Association w ill convene for its 1931 Session. A lrea d y the L ocal Comm ittee has the situation w ell in hand, and with the energy characteristic of this splendid group of men, we m ay look forward with confidence to the stage setting for the next meeting. T h e fact should be em phasized that at each annual ses sion the chief burden of preparation falls on the L ocal Committee. T h e rank and file of our membership have not the least conception of the m anifold duties that devolve on the Comm ittee from the very day of their appointment till the final adjournment at the close o f the meeting. T h e only men who really visualize this are the ones who have served on similar committees at previous meet ings, and the marvel is that year after year different groups of men m ay be found who bid so loyally for the privilege of holding the meeting in their favorite city. T h e only reason is that there is that splendid thing in the hearts of men called local pride whereby the 1555
1556
The Journal of the American D ental Association
citizens of a favorite city are w illin g to sacrifice individual com fort for the public good. F or the com ing session, we have the assurance of our officers that, as far as the L ocal Comm ittee is concerned, everything hum anly possible is being done to make perfect the arrangements for the 1931 meeting, and the entire organization is under deep obligation for the work already done by that body. T h e program for the general sessions and the various section meetings is being brought to a favorable issue. T h e reports from the section officers w ould indicate that unusual preparation is being m ade for the scientific sessions, and no matter in what department of our work a member m ay be interested, he w ill be assured of am ple entertainment and instruction. O u r President, Robert T o d d O liver, has been very active dur ing the past year in visiting our state and district organizations, and has through that m edium made contact with very m any o f the leaders of the profession, thus eliciting much interest in the meet ing. A n d in this connection, here is another service the exactions of which can scarcely be realized by the membership as a whole. T h e President is called on to devote much of his time and energy to the welfare of the Association at the expense of his personal interests, and he does it w illingly and gladly as his contribution to the upbuilding of organized dentistry. O u r Association has been fortunate in the character of men w hom it has selected to head the organization, and we bespeak for our present incumbent the hearty support of every loyal member of the Association. T h e general meetings of the M em ph is Session promise to be more than ordinarily entertaining. T h is part of the program is largely under the direction of the President and the Secretary, and w e can vouch for the fact that during the present administra tion these men have devoted their utmost energy toward the prob lem o f securing the best available talent.
E ver since the Denver
meeting, our very efficient secretary, D r. H arry B. Pinney, has been canvassing the situation for the most acceptable entertainment, and it is safe to promise that when the general meetings convene, there w ill be provided for our members and invited guests a program
1557
Editorial Department
that w ill prove a landmark in the progress of organized dentistry. T h e clinical program is shaping up in acceptable order, and this most practical of all our activities promises to maintain the high order of excellence that has always characterized it. T h e entertainment of our members in the way of social events and sports is never neglected in our program, and with the cordial hospitality of the proverbial Sunny South, there is every assurance that the meeting at M em ph is w ill prove one of the most profitable and pleasant of all that have been held.
Plan to go to M em ph is
and accept the hospitality that is assured by the fulfilment of the program already provided. A P O S S IB L E E X P L A N A T I O N
OF M O T T L E D E N A M E L
F or years, the subject of mottled enamel has concerned the dental profession, and, from time to time, articles have appeared in our literature dealing with this most distressing malady. Frederick S. M c K a y has probably devoted as much time as anyone to its study.
In 1909, the late G . V . Black went to Colorado to investi
gate the subject in conjunction w ith D r. M c K a y , and ever since that time, the latter, at various intervals, has written on the subject. Others have occasionally referred to the question in our literature, but, till quite recently, no one has offered a specific solution o f the difficulty.
From the very first, it was suspected that the water
supply was accountable for the trouble, but no one, as far as we know, had designated the particular element in the water that did the damage. I t has remained for an industrial chemist, H . V . Churchill, of the A lu m in u m Com pany of A m erica, to suggest a possible ex planation.
In a more or less detailed statement to the Associated
Press, M r . Churchill outlined his ideas as first publicly expressed at a session of the A m erican Chem ical Society, M arch 21, 1931, in w hich he attributed the phenomenon of mottled enamel to the pres ence of fluorin in the water supply, and he goes on to study the manifestations and percentages o f fluorin in the water of different localities.
1558
The Journal of the American Dental Association
W h ile the Associated Press article quite naturally does not treat the subject from the point of view of the dental research worker, and w hile further investigation w ill be required to estab lish definitely the causal relationship between mottled enamel and the influence of fluorin, at least we can say that this theory offers us the first plausible explanation that we have had as to the specific factor in this disfiguring affliction. Interest in the subject is spread ing as is evident in the two final paragraphs of the Associated Press article, which are as fo llo w s: Subsequent to this announcement, Dr. Margaret Cammack Smith of the Uni versity of Arizona has reported her work on the possible correlation of fluorine in drinking water with the mottled enamel defect as it has occurred in Arizona. Intense interest in Churchill’s discovery has been evidenced by authorities in public health work, dental research and municipal water treatment and analysis. The revelation that fluorine in drinking water is responsible for the permanent disfigurement of thousands of children and adults imposes a new duty on those who are responsible for the quality of water supplies. Hitherto, processes of chlorination and clarification have been deemed sufficient in water purification, but now an addi tional control is necessary. Chlorination solved the problem of typhoid. The control of fluorine concentration so that it never exceeds one part per million will solve this age old problem of mottled enamel.
P A Y Y O U R DEBTS Failure to keep an obligation is one of the besetting sins of humanity. I f you owe a man money, pay it. I f you owe him your allegiance, see that he has it. I f you owe him a favor, grant it. I f you have given him a promise, see that it is kept. I f by any chance you have been inveigled into prom ising a difficult or unreasonable thing, never mind, keep your promise— it may make you more care ful about promising again. T o honor an obligation is one of the prime essentials to the maintenance of character. T o hedge on an obligation is to begin a m oral disintegration that m ay prove fundamental. T o gain the reputation of always paying your debts is one of the greatest assets of economic or professional life. N o other one thing w ill so surely anchor you in the public esteem as the reputation of invariably honoring your obligation, or paying your debts.