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

Page 17 text:

m m m m m Figure 4: Figure 1: Hesire — The first known dentist — Egypt, 3000 BC Figure 2: Hippocrates — Reduction of the jaw. Figure 3: Dr. Nevius in the act of administering anesthesia. Figure 4: Pierre Fauchard m m m m m 3» 33 m The illustrations accompanying the text are from Proskauer — Witt Pictorial History of Dentistry , DuMont — Schauberg Publishers. 13

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Figure 3: not readily available — a source of comfort. Rare is the individual who, at this time when some personal stock- taking is unavoidable, can see even an approximation between earlier hopes and later realizations. Gone is the ever renewing buoyancy engendered by youth. The stark fact, must be faced — the future is behind us. In place of hope we now seek solace — but where can it be found? It can be found, for example, in the truth uttered by Hippocrates: Art is long, life is short, judgement difficult. At the beginning of professional life, the road appears so long, almost endless and without serious impedi- ments. As the end approaches, it seems to have been so short and so very difficult. Even at this time, his- tory can provide some hope. The realization that dentistry, appearing almost with the birth of civilization (Figure 1), was in existence much before we entered it and will continue long after our departure enables one to break out of the confines of his personal being. Others have come, served their time and left. Each one, to varying degrees, has influenced the course of dentistry whether or not such influence has been recorded. Fortunate indeed is the dentist who, as the end of his professional life ap- proaches, through the insight provided by history is given even a glimmer of awareness of the fact that through his life and work in dentistry, somehow, in a way that cannot possibly be known, he may continue to influence the course of his profession long after he is gone. 12

Page 18 text:

Dentists are not traders in commodities engaged in a mer- chandising business. A dentist is a practitioner of one of the true ' learned professions ' like unto a physician or surgeon. Dentistry is one of the healing arts . . . and dentists, like phy- sicians, perform the highest type of skilled professional service for their patients. Dentists are men of profession, who by vir- tue of their talents and apti- tudes, and long years of study, and formal education, qualify themselves to serve mankind and to alleviate human suffer- ing. When a dentist furnishes a prosthesis to his patient, this is an inseparable and indivisible part and parcel of. the pro- fessional service of dentistry, which concerns itself with di- agnosis, treatment, restoration, prevention. A dentist does not, under the common understand- ing of things . . . make a sale to his patient. His relationship to the patient is not that of merchant and ' cus- tomer ' , but that of doctor and patient; a close relationship re- quiring the skill and expertness that come with a concentrated background of education, train- ing, and qualification. . . . We believe that the faculty of our school epitomizes these tra- ditions, and is worthy of them in every way. We are grateful to these men and women who have instilled in us a respect for the principles and heritage of our profession. This is dentistry .... From an opinion by Judge Walter B. Jones, Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Ala- bama, March 9, 1960.