146 
C. E. SAYRE. 
found very little on the subject, until Percivall’s able works. 
He only enlightens farther on caries and dentition fever, and 
most of his writings are taken from an essay by Prof. Gow- 
ing. Gamgee gives quite an interesting chapter on diseases 
of the teeth and sinuses. Later, Prof. Yarnel wrote a series 
of interesting articles. Prof. Williams devotes several pages 
to diseases of the teeth. The only work devoted exclusively 
to veterinary dental surgery is the one written by Dr. T. D. 
Hinebauch. 
There was very little improvement in instruments or me¬ 
chanical skill in operating from the time of Wm. Hope until 
a few years ago, when C. D. House discovered the manner 
of operating in the horse’s mouth without the aid of a specu¬ 
lum ; he also invented several useful instruments. Although 
Mr. House was an unqualified man, he deserves the respect 
of the profession, for he certainly taught us a great deal about 
operative work. With his discoverv followed many evils. 
He immediately started out as a professional veterinary den¬ 
tist, and made a grand success; and this tempted manv poor¬ 
ly qualified men to follow his example, who did more harm 
than good to the poor brutes subjected to their treatment, 
until the veterinary dentist came to be looked upon as a veri¬ 
table charlatan. There are a few exceptions, however; men 
who, though non-graduates, are really expert operators, much 
better than many of our qualified men. 
The country being flooded, as it is, by so many self-styled 
veterinary dentists, has accomplished one thing for which I 
am thankful. It started the public mind to thinking that our 
dumb brutes suffered with their teeth as well as ourselves. 
Some of you may question the assertion I have just made, 
but those of you who are in a country practice will agree 
with me ; for after one of these itinerant dentists has visited 
your towns you have done twice as much dental work as be¬ 
fore. 
I am glad that now the profession are giving more atten¬ 
tion to this sadly neglected branch of veterinary science, and 
that now the veterinary surgeons, or at least a great many of 
them, can do their dental work in a scientific manner without 
