Review of Dental Literature and Art. [Volume: 2, Issue: 9, April, 1861, pp. 503-512]

512

THE DENTAL COSMOS.

vulgarism-we didn't know it was very acute to have the good sense to
use iodine 'in the treatment of chronic periodontitis accompanied by a
constant discharge of pus,' till we learned the fact from the editorial department of the February number of the DENTAL COSMOS. There we are
told that, 'useful as the remedy is, it is only, however, within the past four
years that the attention of the profession was first directed to it by Dr.
Garretson,' which may be all true enough; but so common was this agent
thus used, in these regions, when we came into the profession, that we,
ignorantly it is true, supposed every dentist used it whenever the case
seemed to require it. We used it for such cases before we came into the
profession. The first time we ever saw Dr. Atkinson, if our memory is
correct, he was pumping tincture of iodine into an alveolar abscess. This
was in 1854. But he was, perhaps, like us, ignorant of the fact that there
was need to direct the attention of the profession to it; and hence, this
duty was left for Dr. Garretson, and we are heartily glad he has performed
it. But we still think that a reasonably extended medical education would
suggest the remedy, without special attention being called to it."
In response to the above, we will not pretend to question for one moment
that Drs. Atkinson and Watt, as stated, may have employed this agent
for a long period; but it is a little singular, if it was thus used as a common agent "in these regions when we came into the profession," that no
reference, to the best of our knowledge, had ever been made to it by
dental writers, in numerous communications on the treatment of alveolar
abscess, and, notwithstanding the fact that other remedies are strongly
recommended, it should have been entirely overlooked in all the textbooks published even within the last few years; and particularly by the
last one, (Taft's Operative Dentistry,) which was written in that region.
The silence of these writers, however, may have been due to the fact that
they also thought "that a reasonably extended medical education would
suggest the remedy, without special attention being called to it."
As we have always supposed that it was the special duty of contributors
to magazines, to direct attention to new remedies, or the new applications
of old ones, we would beg leave to suggest, that the remark above embodies rather a singular doctrine, and which, if carried out in all directions,
would render our periodical literature of little or no value. Fortunately,
however, it is the presentation of a multiplicity of just such facts as these
which should suggest themselves to everybody's mind, but do not, that constitutes the great claim that properly conducted journals have upon the profession; their pages rather than the books reflect the present knowledge
of the profession as a whole, and it is there that the facts and opinions
eventually embodied in books, (and too often without acknowledging
the sources from whence they were obtained,) are first presented or foreshadowed.