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

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' There is a history in all men ' s lives. — Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II n evaluating the status of any entity, be it a nation, a profession, or an individual, and in contemplating its future, an understanding and an appreciation of the trials, the triumphs, and the defeats of the past are essential. Unless we can realize how far we have come in the areas of public accept- ance of dentistry, technical and scientific advances, and professional self-esteem, and unless we are able to relate this progress to the present and to the future, we are lacking a critical part of our essence. As dentists, we are more than scientists, diagnosti- cians, therapists, and artists. We are the bearers of a tradition that had its origins in the alleviation of suf- fering, the restoration of health, and the prevention of disease; a tradition that maintains these goals now, and will continue to do so. If we are to realize our potential to the utmost, in relation to our patients and to the public, and to ourselves, to derive from our life ' s work a material, emotional and intellectual sense of at- tainment, and a sense of continuity and purpose, then we must know and understand what has preceded us. Therefore, we pause to recall listeria}}

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k Smtffium RxciiAii P. Kulicfz December 28, 1938 - November 25, 2961 S We shall remember him as more than a class- mate for he possessed those qualities which make a classmate a friend — sincerity and warmth. Richard ' s untimely passing was a great loss to all who were fortunate enough to have known him. ? J ft ft % g f g f g f (D S S S S S S

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I, .J, PS Figure 1 : THE HERITAGE OF DENTISTRY by Laszlo Schwartz D.D.S. illustrations accompanying text supplied by Dr. Curt Proskauer A knowledge of the heritage of one ' s calling has various meanings to different individuals. In dentistry, for example, to a materialistic or ambitious practitioner concerned only with fi- nancial success or personal prestige, dentistry ' s heritage may have no significance. To someone else, however, to whom satisfaction and a sense of service are of equal importance , knowledge of the history of dentistry can have great value. Such benefit may not be tangible. It may consist of something as subtle as a change in attitude. All of us at some time or other in pro- fessional life feel completely alone. Such feel- ing may be due to the fact that we are facing something new and untried — private practice for example, or it may appear after some years in practice in the form of disappointment in the recognition accorded by society in general or the profession in particular. At such times knowledge of the lives of dentists who laid the foundations of modern dentistry can prove therapeutic. Such biographical information makes clear the fact that the great men of dentistry experienced the same hesitancy and disappointment as we do. There thus ensues a sense of belonging that acts as a balm to loneliness. This feeling of belonging is particularly im- portant at the beginning of one ' s professional career. At this time knowledge of who and what preceded him can do much to bolster the confidence of the trepidations young dentist and temper the confidence of the brash. The history of dentistry, by telling the young prac- titioner from where his profession came and where it is at the present time can serve as the compass that guides him into the future. With its aid, the process of launching a profes- sional career can be facilitated and many shoals avoided. From Hippocrates he can learn not only a method of reducing the dislocated mandible (Figure 2) which is still useful, but more important, attitudes toward professional life whose worth have been tested for over two millennia. In dealing with the often perplexing question of dentistry ' s relations with medicine, the young practitioner will be armed with the knowledge that dentistry was nurtured by the same science as medicine. Vesalius and Eus- tachius in the sixteenth century provided the foundations of anatomy. About a century later 10