AS APPLIED TO DENTISTRY. 141 



Moreover, my name is so intimately known in 

 connection with this subject from the commence- 

 ment, that it is difficult to avoid an egotistical 

 dissertation. 



Again, in my desire to confine myself to the 

 simple statement of facts, which will bear sub- 

 sequent investigation, I may fail in imparting 

 that kind of information which you expect from 

 me. And, thirdly, because I am desirous of not 

 even appearing to claim to myself any credit to 

 which others are justly entitled. 



I beg, however, to state, first, that in the year 

 1855, Mr. Goodyear brought to my office in New 

 York samples of " hard vulcanite," in sheets of 

 an ebony black, requesting experiments for its 

 application to artificial dentistry. 



According to his statement, several dentists 

 had previously been induced by him to make the 

 attempt, but invariably failed, for the want of some 

 specific system which had yet to be discovered. 



Among those names he mentioned were Mr. 

 Cummings, of Boston, and also a Mr. Wheat, of 

 Philadelphia, with whom I have no acquaintance, 

 and to whom special reference was made in a 

 paper read before you on the 5th of March last. 



Mr. Evans, of Paris, has recently informed me 

 that he made some experiments for Mr. Goodyear 

 as far back as 1851 or 1852, and that he beheves 

 himself to be one of the first, if not the first, who 



