Principles of dental surgery : exhibiting a new method of treating the diseases of the teeth and gums, especially calculated to promote their health and beauty : accompanied by a general view of the present state of dental surgery, with occasional references to the more prevalent abuses of the art : in two parts / by Leonard Koeckel.

  • Koecker, Leonard, 1785-1850.
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Principles of dental surgery : exhibiting a new method of treating the diseases of the teeth and gums, especially calculated to promote their health and beauty : accompanied by a general view of the present state of dental surgery, with occasional references to the more prevalent abuses of the art : in two parts / by Leonard Koeckel. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    I do not mean to assert that the library of the dentist has not been occasionally enriched with some learned and voluminous works, by certain active members of the profession, both in this country and abroad ; but it is a fact, unfortunately too true, that most of these writings, the more recent not excepted, are greatly characterized by the same defects. They have afforded little or no benefit to practical dentistry, whilst they have contained and advocated innumerable errors, false principles, and malpractices, founded, for the most part, on old prejudices, and deceptive the- ories. In fact, it seems that the greater part of these productions were much less intended and calculated to promote the welfare of humanity and the profession, than the interest of their authors. The French particularly deserve our acknowledgments for their industry to increase the stock of our dental literature; yet they have not produced one original standard work of the natural history of the teeth, similar to those of Hunter, Fox, and Blake, which could furnish them with sufficiently just and solid principles for the inumerable speculations and theories which they have advanced. This unsettled and vague state of practical Dental Surgery, not only exposes the profession and the unwary public to the errors of the dentist, but it also leaves the greatest opening for the most impudent and ignorant pretenders to assume a profes- sion, which they utterly disgrace, and which they must render a horror to those individuals who are weak-minded enough to be- come the dupes of their empiricism ; and to measure the merits of a most useful profession by the abuses of incompetent pretenders. It is a well known fact that there are quacks in every profession, and in every country ; but it cannot be denied that they most particularly abound in the United States of America, and in England. While I say this, however, I also feel it the most pleasing duty to add, that I believe -the profession of the dentist to be no where in the hands of more scientific and excellent men, and more appreciated by the enlightened public than in these countries; a fact of itself sufficient to prove the importance of the profession, and, at the same time, exceedingly creditable to the intelligence of both nations. No part of that profession which was deemed worthy of the particular attention of a John Hunter, can be a matter of in- difference to any people, where the sciences of medicine and surgery are understood; nor is there any department of it that would not naturally enlist the zealous inquirer, as the importance of the subject to humanity and to science might become better appreciated. The names of Mr. Joseph Fox and Dr. Blake, will immediately occur in confirmation of this statement, men, who by their eminent character have given a dignity to the profession