University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine - Reflector Yearbook (Buffalo, NY)

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HISTORY CDF DENTISTRY The first beginnings of dental art were undoubtedly identical to those of general medicine, because it is quite evident that in primitive times, when the healing art was in its rudimentary stages, no divisions could have existed in it. This nucleus, as it could rightly be designated, as one peers retrogressively into antiquity, grew with the passage of time and gradually absorbed into its attraction sphere assimilated masses of concrete knowledge which ultimately resulted in a whale, a mother, the science of medicine. Even as a woman bears so did she, the science of medicine but instead of lite, she gave the world the specialties, fields of limitation-dentistry. This transition occurred at about the end of the middle ages, that is, the period of existence between ancient and modern civilization. It was in this era that events of the highest importance, such as the invention of the printing press, the capture of Constanti- nople by the Turks, with the consequent emigration ot many Greek men of letters and

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Dr. Meisberger, Jr. Dr. Gauchat Dr. Buffomante Dr. Kissell Dr. Glaser Dr. Pankow

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science, who took up their residence in the West and especially in ltaly, and lastly, the discovery ot America, marked the beginning of a new era, and are the most essential factors in bringing about the revival ot art and science. ln the midst ot this transition which was characterized by a vigorous intellectual lite, dentistry, like many other branches ot science, made notable progress. lt was in the sixteenth century, and to be more precise, about the year l544, that the first monograph, in which dental ailments were discussed independently of general medicine and surgery. The book alluded to is that of Walter H. Ryft and is particularly noteworthy because it was written in the vernacular lGerman instead ot the customary Latinl. The first signs ot separation ot dentistry from general medicine were, therefore, per- ceived in the sixteenth century and from that time this separation tended to accentuate itself ever more strongly and dentistry progressed even more rapidly, both in scientific and practical knowledge. Although, there have been, even from the most remote times, individuals who have devoted themselves exclusively to the cure of dental maladies, or to repairing the losses of the dental system by artitical means, and notwithstanding the progress gradually accom- plished in this branch of medical art, which progress was especially remarkable during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it is not to be denied that, up to the beginning of the eighteenth century, dentistry was in great part, considered one with medicine and surgery in general. lt is but natural that dental art land the same may be said of every special branch ot medicinel could not assume a real individuality until it had attained a higher grade of development. As a matter of tact, dentistry, toward the end ot the seventeenth century, was already a true specialty, although it counted but tew worthy representatives at that tirne. The ultimate separation between dentistry, medicine and surgery, although it may have been retarded, could not tail to take place. However, in our time, we appreciate a closer bond between the related sciences of medicine and dentistry.