Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery - Dental Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 27 text:

There seems to be a ' Harry and Bert ' in almost every department. In our technique courses, we were introduced to an intirely new vocabulary with such phrases as: ' I carved this one with my fingernail in sopho- more year That ' s good, now polish it up This tooth would like to be moved to the Mesial Did you use a hoe on that or a rake Meanwhile, on the ninth floor we learned about stresses and strains which we had already ex- perienced on the floor below. Bacteriology taught us the principles of anaphylaxis in pregnant guinea pigs with cervical caries and the mating habits of vaccinated rabbits in an incubator. In an ivy-covered chapel on the 7th floor, we learned the facts of life from our new Bible, Good- man and Gillman. Here, Reverend Bart, the dental student ' s Billy Graham, preached the true way of life. Here, emesis became a household word. Once again we cruised through the periodontium reaffirming our faith in reattachment As finals neared, there was a bull market on dexedrine stocks. Students in mid-May could be seen studying in over- coats, mufflers, and gloves while the rest of the city decried a new heat wave. And. so it ended. The test by fire was finished. Some of us got through with only a third degree burn, some fried and others cremated. . Novo I ' ll tell you something 1 Now, when you do this over These things happen. 23

Page 26 text:

' Wax chips fell like snowflakes. A bucket of pig embryos. All aspiring dentists carry them. You ' re not too bright, Harry. Physiology (a course where cats don ' t have a chance on sunny afternoons) taught us that pit- ressin really works. It was in this class that one of our alert faculty members discovered the Donald Duct. It wasn ' t until mid-winter that we discovered teeth. It seems that teeth are surrounded by bone (which is bone, boys) and a structure called the periodontium — which reappeared three years later in, of all places, senior prosthetics. In the spring, it was biochemistry and more hearts, time being divided equally for both. Dr. Karshan wanted to give us the old time-tested exams, but that young upstart kept whispering in his ear — change the questions, new exams. Due to some oversight, the annual freshman- faculty barbecue was not held that year. Vacation rolled around quickly and we basked naively in the warm summer sun contemplating the year that lay ahead. Upon returning to school in the fall, we were introduced to that Garden of Eden — the eighth floor. While we were sharpening our pencils in pathology under the tutelage of J. Wellington Pencilpoint, the sophomore committee was sharpening the axe which was soon to fall. Columbia — Presbyterian Medical Center, home, sueet home. 22

Page 28 text:

Fore! Caddy! The country club was now open for R and R (Recuperation and Repair). Now two new factors entered our lives . . . patients and Max. We weren ' t sure how to cope with either of them. What ' s up, Doc? a term usually applicable to lovable Bugs Bunny, made us cringe with fear and hide in the high heat oven. We lacerated and burned ouselves in ortho and then bid the benches farewell on a formal basis. We promised our dentures by Thanksgiving . . . well, Christmas at the latest . . . but they did look good in the Easter Parade. Then we learned something new. The teeth are surrounded by the periodontium, and for eleven weeks we scraped at it. This is not to mention ump- teen lectures on Occlusal Traumatism by various gingivophiles. After we learned how to clean out the patient ' s pockets, we met Occlusal Louie. It was eleven weeks of slides, word and models, none of which gave us centric. The debate between The Barndoorgraph and the Transograph raged on through the spring. The year ' s social calendar reached its height at the Senior Farewell, where the production of Guys and Dents brought down the house. Go to sleep . . . you re feeling drowsy . . . look at my thumb . . . go to sleep . . . keep your eyes on my thumb, you in- grate ! 24 He called me ' Doc, ' Harry. Will you cease those unprofessional bird imita- tions.