PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Malvin E Ring

Publications and source records attributed to Malvin E Ring.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Jonathan Taft: dentistry's great forgotten hero.

One of the greatest figures in the development of the dental profession to the high status it enjoys today is all but forgotten. Jonathan Taft was dean of the second dental school in the world and wrote the most important clinical textbook of his time, one that was reprinted in many editions over a quarter of a century. Later appointed dean of the new University of Michigan Dental School, he instituted innovations in admission requirements and course of study that were copied by all subsequent schools and are the standards adhered to today. The editor of one of the most important dental journals for 44 years, a record unmatched to this day, he set the standards for modern dental periodical literature that have done so much to elevate dentistry that today it stands on a par with medicine as a truly science-based profession. He served dentistry in many capacities: president of the American Dental Association, founder of the National Association of Dental Faculties, and founder of the National Association of Dental Examiners. Over his lifetime, he published almost 200 professional papers and probably attended and lectured at more dental meetings than anyone of his day and since. His memory should be resurrected, and the profession must be made aware of the great debt it owes to this intrepid fighter for a better dental profession.

Dentistry, Operative↗
PubMed2006

Jacob Hemet. Dentist to royalty and entrepreneur extraordinaire.

One of the most prominent dentists in late-18th century London was Jacob Hemet, member of a long family of dentists. He was appointed royal dentist to Queen Charlotte, wife of George the Third, and to George's favorite daughter, Amelia, and the Prince of Wales. He advertised widely, both in this country and in several European countries, including his native France. However, what makes him noteworthy is the fact that he was the very first person to patent a dentifrice and the first to use marketing techniques similar to those used by the foremost toothpaste manufacturers of today.

Advertising↗
PubMed2005

The greatest oral surgeon of the antebellum South. The story of Benjamin A. Rodrigues.

The family of Benjamin A. Rodrigues fled Spain in the late 18th century to escape persecution of Jews by the Inquisition. They settled in Charleston, South Carolina, where young Rodrigues was born. Showing great interest in medicine, he studied with one of the South's leading physicians and then went on to study dentistry with an equally famous dentist. Feeling the need for a more thorough education, he enrolled in the Medical College of South Carolina, from which he was graduated in 1834 with the M.D. degree. But his interests lay in dentistry, and upon his mentor's emigrating to Europe, he took over the practice and became one of the leading dentists not only in South Carolina but in the entire South. He was active in his local and national dental societies and was a participant in their lively discussions. He soon earned a reputation as the leading oral surgeon of the southern states, and in 1850, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery awarded him an honorary D.D.S.

History, 19th Century↗
PubMed2005

Founders of a profession: the original subscribers to the first dental journal in the world.

A true profession is built upon a tripod: a formal organization, formal professional education, and a formal scientific literature. The United States was the leader in all three. In 1839-40, the American Society of Dental Surgeons was organized, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was established, and the first dental journal in the world, the American Journal of Dental Science, was founded. At that time there were only about three hundred trained and scientific dentists in the entire country; the rest were relatively untrained operators, outright quacks, or charlatans. In 1898, a list of the first subscribers to the first journal was discovered and published by G.V. Black. These initial subscribers may be considered the core group of truly professional American dentists. They became the leaders of the newly born profession of dentistry. Short biographies of some of them are included.

Dentists↗
PubMed2004

The first picture of a dental forceps in a printed book.

Niccolo Leonico Tomeo authored numerous volumes on a variety of themes, and was principally responsible for reintroducing the works of Aristotle in the original Greek. In one of Tomeo's works, he included a picture of forceps holding an extracted tooth. This was the first time a forceps was pictured in a printed book.

Dental Instruments↗
PubMed2004

B. T. Whitney. Physician, dentist, inventor, entrepreneur and dedicated figther for dentistry and dental education.

In the mid-1850s, Western New York had become one of the most highly industrialized areas of the nation, largely because it was the terminus of the Erie Canal. Buffalo was among the foremost cities in the country; and its dentists were actively establishing a professional association. What was lacking, however, was a dental school to serve the whole area, including the territory to the west. Four leading men in the profession, who also started one of America's greatest and most innovative dental manufacturing companies, struggled to achieve that goal. Foremost among them was Benajah Ticknor Whitney, a physician, who had received his M.D. at the first medical school west of the Hudson River. But his interest in dentistry developed early in his training, and Dr. Whitney went on to become one of the state's outstanding dental leaders. Sadly, he didn't live to see his dream fulfilled. It would take 20 more years--and a hard fight to overcome opposition within the profession--until a university-affiliated school was established in Buffalo.

Dental Instruments↗
PubMed2004

Dental writings in a medical self-help book of 1650.

Only one copy exists of the very first medical self-help book written in the Yiddish language. The author, a well respected. barber-surgeon in Prague, states that he wrote the book for those too poor to consult a physician. Physicians were not as knowledgable or experienced as the barber-surgeons who were the principal providers of medical care for the masses. The book follows the format of discussing illnesses from head to toe, and includes numerous prescriptions for toothache, loose teeth, foul mouth and sore tongue. We derive an interesting picture of what dental treatment was like in the mid-seventeenth century.

Barber Surgeons↗
PubMed2003

Terrible accidents during tooth extraction in the earlier days of dentistry.

In the earlier days of dentistry, patients suffered terrible tortures and accidents at the hands of untrained individuals who attempted to extract the sufferer's teeth. Even as dental knowledge and skill advanced, there were still numerous untoward occurrences during extractions, some of them resulting in the death of the patient. The article ends with the recounting of a near-fatal case that was in no way the dentist's fault and could not have been prevented.

History, 16th Century↗