JANUARY, 1883.

416.

VOL. I.-No. 1.

Published by

ON the occasion of a recent visit to Europe with the special object of securing needed relaxation from the onerous duties of my profession, and enjoying healthful and pleasant rambles for a few months through the "British Isles;" I availed myself of the opportunity thus ty thus afforded, to gather some interesting facts here and there pertaining to dental prac

Edited by

CHAS. E. PIKE, D.D.S.

tions of the Dental practitioner. As a general rule the common people do not pay nearly the same attention to their teeth as the same class in our country. As stated the cities are well supplied with dentists, most of them being native born. Among these are quite a number who are graduates of our dental colleges; the superior facilities afforded by our dental institutions-especially those of Philadelphia-drawing them here to complete their professional education. These graduates having received the advantages of our schools, and graduating with due honor, usually take high rank in their

quainted with the present status of the dental profession in the Old World. The result of my observations satisfied me that nearly all of the large cities of England, Ireland and Scotland, so far as regards numbers, are amply supplied with dentists. In many of the small rural towns may be found representatives of our profession, who combine with their dental practice the business of a druggist. In all such cases, where the time and labors are thus divided, a high standard of dental practice could not be expected. Yet there are many respectable and intelligent persons of this class to be found in sparsely populated districts, whose services in there capacity as dentists, may be regarded as important and valuable, in alleviating the suffering arising from diseased dental organs in their respective communities. There evidently exists, in the countries named, a want of due appreciation of the important func

and confidence of the better classes. In the large cities-especially in Englandmay also be found a few American dentists who have succeeded to large and lucrative practices. Recently the dentists of London have, from what is regarded in some quarters as a jealous and selfish motive, secured legislative and legal action, which prohibits the recognition of the diplomas of the Dental Colleges in the United States with only two exceptions. And these two exceptions, strange as it may appear, are in favor of colleges having a small number of students and few graduates. This action of the English dentists-making such an invidious, and unjust distinction in favor of two of our colleges having the smallest number of matriculates, can only be construed as an extreme, and uncalled-for measure of self protection, most unfriendly-to say the least-to the oldest and most successful Dental Colleges in the world. It