Dr. E. Forberg (Stockholm) (9), shows from an examination of the teeth of 18,000 school children in Sweden, that the percentage of caries in the second molar, at the age of fourteen to fifteen, is greater than that of the first molar at the age of seven to eight, clinical experience also showing that after the twelfth year the first molar is less susceptible to caries, while the susceptibility of the second molar increases very largely; hence it is irrational to practice the extraction of a first molar in order that the second molar, which is a weaker tooth, should take its position. Dr. Forberg discusses the various arguments advanced in favor of the removal of the first molar, and concludes that any gain in space is only temporary; that the occlusal curve of compensation is flattened, and the normal force of mastication reduced; while the backward development of the mandible does not occur. "Hence the extraction of the first molars not only reduces the force of mastication, but also disturbs the arrangement of the articulation and produces no favorable changes whatever."

Hè

At the April meeting of the New York Institute of Stomatology Dr. S. E. Davenport read a paper entitled "Stray Thoughts About Regulating." (10) He emphasized the importance of properly diagnosing each case, taking impressions and studying the casts, comparing with the patient's face before deciding upon the course to be pursued. He considered the desirability of avoiding extraction in nearly every instance. He said, "Without extraction we have, in the crowded arch, only to expand the arch and rearrange the teeth, while extraction makes the condition at once abnormal.”

In a paper read before the Washtenaw County (Mich.) Dental Society (11), Dr. Milton T. Watson makes the claim that orthodontia is to-day as much a science as is the practice of surgery, one of the best evidences of this being the fact that both the normal and the pathological conditions of the parts involved are carefully considered, enabling the orthodontist to make a careful and accurate diagnosis and prognosis before beginning treatment, the facial requirements being as carefully considered as are the occlusal demands. Dr. Watson prophesies that the day will come when the study of fine art will occupy a prominent place in the dental curriculum. He says, "The artist or the sculptor would be an utter failure without a well developed sense of balance and harmony, and what applies so forcibly to a man who chisels a marble face has a vastly greater

importance for the man who is molding the face of a human being through the immense possibilities in orthodontia."

[References (1) Dental Clippings, Jan., '02, p. 45. (2) American Medicine, Feb. 15, '02 (from Items of Interest, June, 422). (3) International Dental Journal, June, '02, p. 393, 421. (4) Dental Cosmos, Oct., '01, p. 1227. (5) Dental Cosmos, March, '02, p. 286. (6) Western Dental Journal, July, '02, p. 292. (7) Dental Summary, March, '02, p. 155 (from Cosmos), 866. (8) Dominion Dental Journal, April, '02, p. 129. (9) L'Odontologie, April 15, '02 (from Cosmos, June), 645. (10) International Dental Journal, June, '02, P. 447. (II) Pacific Dental Gazette, May, '02, p. 308 (from Register).]

The report of the Committee on Oral Hygiene in Public Schools was presented, and on motion was referred to the Auditing Committee.

Report of the Committee on Oral Hygiene.

MR. PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE N. D. A. :-As Secretary of your Committee on Oral Hygiene in our Public Schools I beg to submit the following report on the work done during the past year. A widespread interest in the subject of oral hygiene appears to have been awakened, and the plan outlined by your Committee, which received your endorsement at the last annual meeting, and which has been followed again during the past year, has met with general approval, the demand for diagrams for the examination of the teeth of school children having been very large. As was the case last year, however, the work of the Committee has been delayed and hampered for lack of funds, the requisition on the treasury, authorized by resolution adopted last year, not having been approved by your President until the month of April of this year, by which time the public schools were already looking forward to the closing exercises, making it more difficult to obtain the necessary permit for the examinations from the school authorities than it would have been earlier in the session.

Your Committee has endeavored to have this subject brought to the attention of all the state societies throughout the country, ad

dressing the officers of each society, as was done last year, as nearly as possible just previous to the date of the annual meeting of each society.

To those societies from which no reply was received last year the following circular letter was sent, addressed to the secretary:

"Dear Doctor:-It having been decided at the meeting of the N. D. A. in IÇOI to continue the work of the committee on 'Oral Hygiene in our Public Schools' on the same lines as last year, and in the hands of the same committee, I am writing to again direct your attention to the circular letter on the reverse of this sheet, a copy of which was sent to the president and secretary of your society last year. No action appears to have been taken by your society, as no report has been received from you. The report of the committee upon the work accomplished last year may be found in the N. D. A. Transactions, 1901. May we not hope that your society will take up the matter this year, and aid the committee in the effort to secure a sufficiently large number of reports from different sections of the country to enable them to compute reliable averages? Please place the matter before your society at its coming meeting, and favor me with an early report."

To those societies not reached last year a similar letter was sent, but modified according to circumstances. Shortly after the date of each state society meeting a request was made for information as to action taken by the society.

It unfortunately happens that the annual meeting of the greater number of state societies takes place so late in the spring that even when favorable action has been taken by the society it is already too late to make the examinations in the public schools, which are at that time preparing for the final examinations and the school authorities are unwilling to allow the time for the examination of the teeth. The following replies have been received from state societies

(1) From Alabama Dr. J. P. Corley, chairman of the committee appointed by the state society, sent us in April the names of 26 Alabama dentists who were willing to make the examinations in 153 schools. A letter was immediately sent to each of these men giving the necessary information as to obtaining a permit from the school authorities, etc., the essential points being finally reduced to the following postal-card limit

Dear Doctor:-Before sending diagrams we must (1) have definite assurance that permit for the oral examination has been granted by the school authorities; (2) we must know the number of schools; (3) we must know

the number of children under the age of fifteen enrolled in each school. Diagrams will be sent promptly on receipt of the above information.

Only three of the examiners have thus far reported the necessary permit obtained, and no returns have as yet been received from Alabama.

(2) A committee of five was appointed by the state society of California, to co-operate with the N. D. A. committee, but the latest report from the committee is to the effect that no meeting has been held.

(3) Delaware reported last year that no meeting of the state society had been held for three years. No reply has been received this year.

(4) The documents sent to the members of the committee appointed by the Florida State Society have not been heard from.

(5) In Louisiana the secretary of the state society, Dr. A. L. Plough, read an interesting paper on the work being done throughout the country along this line, and reported co-operation with the New Orleans Academy of Stomatology in the work of this committee.

(6) The state society of Idaho reported no action taken. (7) Illinois also reported no action taken.

(8) Dr. Richard Grady, Chairman of this Committee, will report on the work done in Maryland. In June, 1896, a committee was appointed to formulate a plan of examination of the teeth of children in the public schools of Baltimore. November, 1900, the committee, believing that the time had arrived for the inauguration of the movement, recommended (and the Association adopted) these four resolutions: (1) That said committee take the proper steps to secure the inspection of the teeth and mouths of children in a limited number of public schools, say not less than five schools; (2) That said committee, if permission is secured, provide brief talks on the care of the teeth to the students of the City College and High Schools; (3) That said committee invite members of this association, friendly to its objects, to become their colleagues and accompany them to the School Board, and if possible induce the school commissioners to co-operate, after explaining to them the character and importance of the movement; (4) That each visiting dentist have assistants to aid in sterilizing instruments and in filling out examination blanks, who may be students from the graduating classes of the several

dental schools indorsed by the deans. May, 1902, the committee appeared before the school commissioners of Baltimore and asked permission to examine the mouths and teeth of pupils from six to fifteen years of age in not less than five schools located in different sections of the city, and also to give brief talks to the students of the City College and High Schools on the care of the mouth and teeth. The request was refused on these grounds briefly: "The method would make the public schools unpopular:" "the movement would not be tolerated by the Johns Hopkins' University and Woman's College, hence why should the poor because of his necessity, be subjected to anything he would resist were it in his power;" "by what authority does the School Board order such examination, other than that it would affect the health of the neighboring pupils by contagion or infection?" It is anticipated that favorable action will be taken by the school commissioners if a printed pamphlet or leaflet on oral hygiene for use in the public schools is submitted. The examination of the pupils' teeth is not considered expedient at this time.

(9) We have no report from Massachusetts later than August of last year, when a committee of five was appointed to report at the next annual meeting of the society, the committee to be appointed by the incoming president.

(10) The state society of Maine appointed a committee which printed and sent out to the dentists throughout the state an invitation to make the examinations, as the result of which ten of the leading dentists in the state responded, giving the number of children whose mouths they would examine. The requisite number of diagrams was promptly sent to each one, but thus far returns have been received from only two of the examiners.

(11) Michigan. Diagrams were sent in May to Dr. Hoff, Ann Arbor, but have not yet been returned. (See also section 35).

(12) Great interest has been manifested in the matter by the state society of Mississippi, the secretary of the committee having in course of preparation a book on Oral Hygiene for use in the public schools. Diagrams have been sent to a number of Examiners in different parts of the state and returns received from five.

(13) No acknowledgement has been made of the sample documents requested for the members of the New York State Society committee.