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The Relief Fund Christmas Seals
E d it o r ia l D e p a r t m e n t
2233
now and when dental facilities w ill be m uch less than they are at the present time. T h e recent agitation in regard to the etiology o f caries, culm inating in the survey of our know ledge of the subject, an d the dram atic find ings of the exam ination of the first one million inductees into the A rm y h ave been responsible for an aw akening on the p art of the profession to the im portance of such steps as the one under consideration that m ay lead to the transfer o f this most prevalent disease of the hum an race— dental caries— from the control class to the preventive class. If, as w e hope, this im portant step results in the inauguration of a program that w ill lead to a systematized effort to care for the dental needs of the people in a m ore intelligent and comprehensive m anner than ever before, m uch progress w ill have been m ade. I f the revelations of the dental examinations m ade early in the w ar em ergency do no more for dentistry than to arouse the profession to a recognition of its delinquency and the delinquency o f all h ealth agen cies so far as public dental health is concerned, th ey w ill have served a most helpful purpose.
THE RELIEF FUND CHRISTMAS SEALS A g a i n the season of the year has rolled around when it
becomes our pleasure to speak a good w ord for probably the most w orthy philanthropic cause in dentistry— the sale of R elief Fund Christm as Seals. For tw enty-five years, the R elief Fu n d Com m ittee has prom oted the sale of these seals each year w ith the sole purpose of beneficent aid to those upon w hom misfortune has fallen, and the instances in w hich this aid has relieved the distress of misfortune are m an y an d are increasing w ith the years. T h ere is no doubt in our m ind th at the perennial enthusiasm of the individual members of the R elief Fund C om m ittee has produced the sustaining effort that has brought such eminent success to this project. In normal times, the calls for help from unfortunate dentists w ho are com pelled b y circumstances to depend upon the generosity o f their brothers are not so numerous in proportion to the num ber in the pro fession, but, in troublous time, as in w ar, depression and calam ity, the num ber greatly increases and the need for generosity and hum anitarianism is greatly intensified. T h is year, the first year o f our active partici
2234
T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
pation in the world holocaust, w ill see a large increase in the num ber w ho w ill h ave need for aid from the R elief Fund, and w e ap p eal to all w ho h ave not already responded to the call to do so at once and to the very lim it of their ability. T h e R elie f Fund, w ith the w ide benefits that it has bestowed, is a unique institution in the professional world and its success has becom e the pride and jo y o f all those w orthy w elfare workers w ho h ave pro m oted and directed the m ovem ent during the past two decades. T h e response thus far this year has been m ore extensive and generous than usual, and w e attribute this to the hum anitarian reaction tow ard the present horrible w ar of destruction. A n d in w h a t m anner ca n those w ho are not able to take an active p art in com bat service better serve dentistry and hum anity? B y the tim e this issue of T h e J o u r n a l reaches its subscribers, a letter containing one hundred o f these seals w ill h ave com e to every m em ber of the Association. T h is most w orthy cause waits upon a generous re sponse to the yearly appeal for the participation and generous support of. each m ember. E very m em ber of the A m erican D en tal Association is entitled to and most of them are eligible for participation in the fund to w h ich the contribution is m ade, individual benefit being contingent only upon participation of the state society, and it is the d u ty of every m em ber of the Association to see to it th at his state society takes its p art in this m ovem ent. W h ile the benefits are restricted generally to m embership in the Association, there h ave been instances in w h ich dentists w ho w ere not members of the Association and some w ho h ad allowed their m em ber ship to lapse have enjoyed the benefits of this purely voluntary ben ev olence. I f every m em ber could see some o f the grateful expressions from re cipients of the benefits of the R elief Fund, they w ould experience to the full the w onderful thrill of jo y th at comes to every one w h o con tributes to a cause that is founded solely and purely on the G olden Rule. N o w more than ever before, the R elief Fu n d C om m ittee needs your h elpful cooperation, and w e pledge for the com m ittee the wise adm inis tration of the fund th at has been conspicuously characteristic o f this benevolence from its inception.
T h e feeling expressions of gratitude
have been the sole reward of the com m ittee, and w e do not believe that there has been a single instance in w hich this generous spirit of the com-
2235
E d it o r ia l D e p a r t m e n t
m ittee has been in the least imposed upon.
O n the other hand, there
have been numerous instances in w hich the recipients of the benefits have returned to the fund the full am ount o f the benevolence that was extended to them, thus emphasizing their gratitude and appreciation in a m anner most reassuring to the committee.
THE ANNUAL INDEX T h e annual index for V olum e 29, 1942, of T h e J o u r n a l w ill be p u b
lished in the M id -M o n th ly issue for D ecem ber 15. It has long been our custom to include the annual index in the D e cember issue, but the publication of the M id -M o n th ly issues makes it necessary to publish the index in the D ecem ber 15 M id -M o n th ly issue, the last num ber (N o. 20) of V olum e 29.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL A Manual for the Differential Diagnosis o f Oral Lesions J o s e p h L. B e r n i e r , D.D.S., M.S., M ajor, Dental Corps, U. S. Army; Curator Dental Division Arm y M edical Museum, Secretary and Pathologist to the Registry of Dental and O ral Pathology of the American Dental Association; Chief of the Oral Pathology Section in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Clinical Path ology, Army Dental School, Arm y Medical Center, Washington, D. C . Cloth. 228 pages. 175 illustrations. Price $4. St. Louis: The C. V . Mosby Company, 1942. By
T he field of oral pathology is so wide and so complex that most of the recent textbooks on the subject have been voluminous. In sharp contrast is this neat little manual of 288 pages. Dr. Bernier has had much experi ence in diagnosing lesions of the oral cavity, for he has served as curator of the Dental Division of the Army M edical Museum and pathologist to the Registry of Dental and Oral Pathology of the American Dental Asso Jour. A .D .A ., Vol. 29, December 1, 1942
ciation. A ll of the excellent photomicro graphs in the book are from the files of the Army Medical Museum. T h e primary objective of the author was, as stated in the preface, “ to provide a handy reference to the pathology and clinical fea tures of the common oral diseases.” He wisely starts his book with a discussion of the indications for biopsy and the technic for obtaining and caring for the tissue. M ajor Bernier then describes the histologic struc ture of the skin and mucous membrane, the principles of inflammation, superficial lesions generally local in character, superficial lesions generally specific in character, benign tumors of the oral region, malignant tumors of the oral region, oral cysts and miscellaneous dis eases of the oral region. T he author has not attempted to include all diseases and tumors of the mouth. No consideration is given dental caries, diseases of the teeth, periodontitis, etc. Instead, he has placed emphasis upon those lesions of the oral soft tissue and alveolar bone that seem to be most common. Brief discussions
2233
now and when dental facilities w ill be m uch less than they are at the present time. T h e recent agitation in regard to the etiology o f caries, culm inating in the survey of our know ledge of the subject, an d the dram atic find ings of the exam ination of the first one million inductees into the A rm y h ave been responsible for an aw akening on the p art of the profession to the im portance of such steps as the one under consideration that m ay lead to the transfer o f this most prevalent disease of the hum an race— dental caries— from the control class to the preventive class. If, as w e hope, this im portant step results in the inauguration of a program that w ill lead to a systematized effort to care for the dental needs of the people in a m ore intelligent and comprehensive m anner than ever before, m uch progress w ill have been m ade. I f the revelations of the dental examinations m ade early in the w ar em ergency do no more for dentistry than to arouse the profession to a recognition of its delinquency and the delinquency o f all h ealth agen cies so far as public dental health is concerned, th ey w ill have served a most helpful purpose.
THE RELIEF FUND CHRISTMAS SEALS A g a i n the season of the year has rolled around when it
becomes our pleasure to speak a good w ord for probably the most w orthy philanthropic cause in dentistry— the sale of R elief Fund Christm as Seals. For tw enty-five years, the R elief Fu n d Com m ittee has prom oted the sale of these seals each year w ith the sole purpose of beneficent aid to those upon w hom misfortune has fallen, and the instances in w hich this aid has relieved the distress of misfortune are m an y an d are increasing w ith the years. T h ere is no doubt in our m ind th at the perennial enthusiasm of the individual members of the R elief Fund C om m ittee has produced the sustaining effort that has brought such eminent success to this project. In normal times, the calls for help from unfortunate dentists w ho are com pelled b y circumstances to depend upon the generosity o f their brothers are not so numerous in proportion to the num ber in the pro fession, but, in troublous time, as in w ar, depression and calam ity, the num ber greatly increases and the need for generosity and hum anitarianism is greatly intensified. T h is year, the first year o f our active partici
2234
T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
pation in the world holocaust, w ill see a large increase in the num ber w ho w ill h ave need for aid from the R elief Fund, and w e ap p eal to all w ho h ave not already responded to the call to do so at once and to the very lim it of their ability. T h e R elie f Fund, w ith the w ide benefits that it has bestowed, is a unique institution in the professional world and its success has becom e the pride and jo y o f all those w orthy w elfare workers w ho h ave pro m oted and directed the m ovem ent during the past two decades. T h e response thus far this year has been m ore extensive and generous than usual, and w e attribute this to the hum anitarian reaction tow ard the present horrible w ar of destruction. A n d in w h a t m anner ca n those w ho are not able to take an active p art in com bat service better serve dentistry and hum anity? B y the tim e this issue of T h e J o u r n a l reaches its subscribers, a letter containing one hundred o f these seals w ill h ave com e to every m em ber of the Association. T h is most w orthy cause waits upon a generous re sponse to the yearly appeal for the participation and generous support of. each m ember. E very m em ber of the A m erican D en tal Association is entitled to and most of them are eligible for participation in the fund to w h ich the contribution is m ade, individual benefit being contingent only upon participation of the state society, and it is the d u ty of every m em ber of the Association to see to it th at his state society takes its p art in this m ovem ent. W h ile the benefits are restricted generally to m embership in the Association, there h ave been instances in w h ich dentists w ho w ere not members of the Association and some w ho h ad allowed their m em ber ship to lapse have enjoyed the benefits of this purely voluntary ben ev olence. I f every m em ber could see some o f the grateful expressions from re cipients of the benefits of the R elief Fund, they w ould experience to the full the w onderful thrill of jo y th at comes to every one w h o con tributes to a cause that is founded solely and purely on the G olden Rule. N o w more than ever before, the R elief Fu n d C om m ittee needs your h elpful cooperation, and w e pledge for the com m ittee the wise adm inis tration of the fund th at has been conspicuously characteristic o f this benevolence from its inception.
T h e feeling expressions of gratitude
have been the sole reward of the com m ittee, and w e do not believe that there has been a single instance in w hich this generous spirit of the com-
2235
E d it o r ia l D e p a r t m e n t
m ittee has been in the least imposed upon.
O n the other hand, there
have been numerous instances in w hich the recipients of the benefits have returned to the fund the full am ount o f the benevolence that was extended to them, thus emphasizing their gratitude and appreciation in a m anner most reassuring to the committee.
THE ANNUAL INDEX T h e annual index for V olum e 29, 1942, of T h e J o u r n a l w ill be p u b
lished in the M id -M o n th ly issue for D ecem ber 15. It has long been our custom to include the annual index in the D e cember issue, but the publication of the M id -M o n th ly issues makes it necessary to publish the index in the D ecem ber 15 M id -M o n th ly issue, the last num ber (N o. 20) of V olum e 29.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL A Manual for the Differential Diagnosis o f Oral Lesions J o s e p h L. B e r n i e r , D.D.S., M.S., M ajor, Dental Corps, U. S. Army; Curator Dental Division Arm y M edical Museum, Secretary and Pathologist to the Registry of Dental and O ral Pathology of the American Dental Association; Chief of the Oral Pathology Section in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Clinical Path ology, Army Dental School, Arm y Medical Center, Washington, D. C . Cloth. 228 pages. 175 illustrations. Price $4. St. Louis: The C. V . Mosby Company, 1942. By
T he field of oral pathology is so wide and so complex that most of the recent textbooks on the subject have been voluminous. In sharp contrast is this neat little manual of 288 pages. Dr. Bernier has had much experi ence in diagnosing lesions of the oral cavity, for he has served as curator of the Dental Division of the Army M edical Museum and pathologist to the Registry of Dental and Oral Pathology of the American Dental Asso Jour. A .D .A ., Vol. 29, December 1, 1942
ciation. A ll of the excellent photomicro graphs in the book are from the files of the Army Medical Museum. T h e primary objective of the author was, as stated in the preface, “ to provide a handy reference to the pathology and clinical fea tures of the common oral diseases.” He wisely starts his book with a discussion of the indications for biopsy and the technic for obtaining and caring for the tissue. M ajor Bernier then describes the histologic struc ture of the skin and mucous membrane, the principles of inflammation, superficial lesions generally local in character, superficial lesions generally specific in character, benign tumors of the oral region, malignant tumors of the oral region, oral cysts and miscellaneous dis eases of the oral region. T he author has not attempted to include all diseases and tumors of the mouth. No consideration is given dental caries, diseases of the teeth, periodontitis, etc. Instead, he has placed emphasis upon those lesions of the oral soft tissue and alveolar bone that seem to be most common. Brief discussions