PROGRESS OF DENTISTRY 441 



societies, and the exchanging of ideas, demonstrating methods 

 for operations, etc., thus giving to all the benefit of the supe- 

 rior knowledge and experiments of the few. 



American dentists are liberal professional men. There 

 is no disposition on the part of the American dentist to retain 

 for his own exclusive benefit any particular discovery or 

 method. The gathering together in these dental societies 

 makes it possible for a frequent exchange of ideas. 



The growth of dental literature has been parallel to that 

 of the dental societies. The American Journal of Dental 

 Science was the first dental journal in our country. It was 

 first issued in June, 1839, by Drs. Parmly and Harris, of Bal- 

 timore. Thus we see that Dr. Harris not only organized the 

 first dental college and the first dental association in the world, 

 but also the first dental journal. Truly, the American dentist 

 owes a great debt of gratitude to Dr. Harris. 



Stockton's Dental Intelligence was the second dental 

 journal issued. It was published in 1844, and was followed by 

 the New York Dental Recorder in 1846; in 1847 by the Dental 

 Register of the West; and in the same year the Dental News 

 Letter. This was published as the Dental News Letter until 

 1859, when it was changed to the Dental Cosmos, under which 

 title it is still published. The Dental Times and Advertiser 

 was issued in 1851; Brown's Advertiser in 1854; the Dental 

 Monitor in 1854; the Dental Obturator in 1855; the Ameri- 

 can Dental Review in 1857. 



Thus, we see that during the first half of the nineteenth 

 century, the development of dental periodicals was rapid and 

 parallel with that of associations and colleges. While all 

 dentists could not belong to an association by reason of their 

 location, it was possible for them to get the benefit of the meet- 

 ings of their various associations by reading of their proceed- 

 ings as published in the dental journals of that period, thus 

 keeping in touch with the progress which was being made in . 

 their profession. 



Thus far we have considered those influences which have 

 directed the progress of dental education. It is well for us to 

 refer also to the advancement which has l)een made in the 

 purely mechanical department of the subject and to refer to 



