The physicians and surgeons of the United States / edited by William B. Atkinson.

Date:: 1878

Credit: The physicians and surgeons of the United States / edited by William B. Atkinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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$systemr.fic professional study. At length, in 1847, he found himself in a position to carry out his long-cherished intention, and in that year began the study of medicine and den- tistry. These studies he continued during the ensuing five years. In 1849 he began the practice of dentistry, still continuing his attendance upon medical lectures at jefi'erson coll., and in 1852 he received his degree of M. D. from that institution. The honorary degree of D.D. S. was given him in recog- nition of his services to thai profession. At this period his first communication was pub- lished, and thence onward, during a term of twenty-five years, he has been a constant con- tributor to the literatui'e of his profession. In 1S57 he accepted the chair of oj-ierative dentistry and dental physiology in the Pa. coll. of dental surgery,continuing todischarge the duties of his professorship until 1S62. In 1859 he originated the idea that developed into the Am. dental asso., advocating, in an article published in the Dental N'eixJs-LeUer, over the signature Junius, an organization of the dental profession on the basis of the Am. med. asso. Ilis project was soon, real- ized in the establishment of the association as a representative body, composed of dele- gates from the local, county and State dental societies, to generally protect and advance the interests of dentistry throughout the country. The first meeting of delegates was held in 1859 at Niagara, and since that date annual meetings have been held in various sections of the country with a constantly increasing attendance. x\s now constituted, the associa- tion is regarded as representative of the dental profession in America. In this year (1859) he became editor of the Dental Cosmos, a monthly journal, recognized as the organ of the profession and circulating in every part of the world where dentistry is practised. This position he retained for thirteen years, giving to its duties a thorough service, the result of his ardent professional zeal and de- sire to advance the interests and status of dental science. He invariably contributed original matter to each number of the mag- azine, many of his papers attracting marked attention. Among these may lie mentioned as particularly noteworthy a monograph upon The Action of AuLiesthetics on the Blood Cor- puscles, which was copied, as was the case with various other articles from his pen, into leading medical and microscopical magazines both in this country and in Europe, being translated into German, French and Italian. His wiiting has dealt broadly with the prin- ciiJJes and practice of dentistry and with den- tal education, and has also been expository and discussive of histology and microscopy. 3 His editorship of the Dental Cosmos, it may be mentioned, was referred to in terms of the warme'st praise by Prof. O. W. Holmes, in a lecture upon the claims of dentistry delivered before a graduating ciass of the Harvard den- tal school. In 1862 he resigned his profes- sorship in the Pa. coll. of dental surgery, and in the spring of the following year made appli- cation to the legislature of Pennsylvania for a charter for a new dental coll., to be called the Philadelphia dental coll. The undertak- ing met with determined opposition, but the charter was, nevertheless, granted, and in the fall of 1863 the college was established and lectures begun, the first class entered number- ing but eleven students. But that the necessity for such a college existed has been fully proved by its great success, it having devel- oped, within a decade, from a local to a cosmopolitan school of dentistry, its list of graduates including names of students from the four quarters of the globe. Dr. McQuil- leii may justly be regarded as the founder of this important educational institution, and the greater credit is his in that its foundation necessitated on his part sacrifices of time, labor and money. He, and each of the four others associated with him in the enterprise, paid ^700 (making an aggregate sum of ^3,500) in order to secure the delivery of the first course of lectures. At the second term, so rapidly had the attendance increased, but 350 apiece was required fiom the faculty to make good the deficit in the budget, and since theit the college has grown to be far more than self-sustaining. Indeed, the great pro- gress which it has made in its short term of existence, and the high leputation which it now holds, amply justify and reward the per- severance of its determined founders. Dur- ing the present session, 1876-77, its lectures are attended by 145 studeiUs. Di-. jMcQuil- len is dean of the faculty of the college, ai^d occupies the chair of physiology, lie has been president of the Am. dental as:,o.; of the Pa. Slate dental soc, and of the odon- tographic soc. of Pa.; for several years hns been corres. secretary of the biological and microscopical section of the Philadelphia acad. of natural sciences, and is a corres. member of a number of scientific societies in the United States and Europe. CliASE, GEORGE CLEMENT, Downie- ville, Cal., was boin in Cornish, Sul- livan CO., N. H., Sept. 16th, 1811, of English and Scotch ]iarentage. His literary education was obtained at Dartmouth coll., and his medical education in the med. dep't of that institution, whence he graduated, Nov. 18th, 1S47. He commenced practice first in Lyn-$

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