/ /HISTORY OF DENTALSURGERY lDI'l'lD5! CHARLESR. E. KOCH, D. D. S. CONTRIBUTIONSBYVARIOUSAUTHORS INTHREEVOLUMES HnlumeIII Biographies of Pioneer American Dentists and Their Successors _31_ BurtonLeeThorpe, M. D., D. D. S. Aloeth editor of The Dental Brief; Author of "The Founder: andEx-prcaidents oI the Miuouri State DentnI Association." Secretary Committee on History,National Dental Amociation;Secretary Commission on History 0‘ Dentistry. Federation Dentnire Internationale; Chairman Committee on History. Missouri State Dental Association; Chairman Committee on History, St. Louis Society of Dental Science; Member of the St, Louis Medical History Club, etc. ILLUSTRATED FT.WAYNE,IND. NATIONALARTPUBLISHING COMPANY 19to COPYRIGHT1909“Y NATIONALARTPuzusmxuCHMPANY Tun WERNERCOIPANY AKRON,OHlu WILLIAM HENRY DWINELLE, M. D., D. D. S., A. M. AVERSATILEosmnsAND“our.orTHATcommaorMENwuoMADE DENTISTRY.” Probablynoothermaninearlydentistrywasmoreversatileandoccu pied so unique 11 position as did the subject of this sketch.He was a man of extraordinary attainments andoriginality,and reflected credit upon our pro fession at a time when the best influences were needed.' Aloverofartand natureinallitsforms,anenthusiasticliterateurand clever writer, an easyconversationalistandbrilliantafter-dinner speaker, as well as a skilled operator, he was a power and one of the most renowned and influentialdentalsurgeonsofhistime. WilliamHenryDwinellewasborninCazenovia,MadisonCounty,New York, July 22,1819.He was the second of sevensons of Judge Justin and Louisa Whipple Dwinelle, both of old New England stock, and of French and Englishancestry. William H. Dwinelle’s early boyhood was spent in his native village attend ing the public schools, andlater he became a studentintheOneida Confer enceSeminary,inCazenovia.Havinganearlyfondnessforsurgery,den tistry attracted his attention, and seeing in thespecialty a wide fieldfor the exerciseofhispeculiargeniusheentereduponwhatprovedhislifework with boundless enthusiasm at the age of nineteen, as a student with Dr.Doug lass,ofAlbany,NewYork,agentlemanwhowasthrnconsideredacompe tent dentist and a skilled workman.Prior to the time he entered Dr. Doug lass’s office as a student, he spent considerable time reading medicaland sci entificworks in the officeofa physician,Dr.Warner,ofCazenovia, who was considereda very intelligent man, well versedon scientific subjects whichhe discussed with young Dwinelle, who at an early age proved an apt stholar. In 1838 he took up the practice of dentistry in his native village.Young Dwinelleshowedmarkedmechanicalingenuityandinstrumentsheneeded that were not on the market he made for himself—many patterns he devised came into general use.Throughouthiscareer he gavehisinventionsfreely to theprofession,andneverpatentedany,saying he“considereditilliberal 325 326HISTORYOFDENTALSURGERY327 and degrading to make a traffic of that which should be free to all.”He lived to see the day when he was called on to pay royalty on devices which he him self originated and that others had patented.Accounts of his inventions and discoveriesappearedfrequently inthevarious dentalandscientificjournals, illustrated by wood-cuts made by himself. He hada delicate esthetic sense, and possessedtalentas an engraver, de signer,draftsman,andsculptor,allofwhichaidedhiminthespecialtyin which he was a recognized authority on both sides of the Atlantic. At the completion of his course of study withDr.Douglass,hereturned to Cazenovia, where he practiced with success, and immediately began attend ingthemeetingsoftheAmericanSocietyofDentalSurgeons,wherehe formedtheacquaintanceofhiscontemporary,ChapinA.Harris,ofBalti more,Md.,who,appreciatinghistalent,requestedhimtobecameAssociate Editor of the “American Journal of Dental Science.”This he did, and served in this capacityfrom1847 to 1849, editing the eighth, ninth, and tenth vol umesinconjunction withAmos Westcott.In1850 he withdrewtobe suc ceeded by Edward Maynard. He became an enthusiastic society worker, and was in demand as a lecturer and demonstrator.Possessing a commanding figure and personal charms, his mind well stored with choice selections from the best literature, his tenacious memoryenabledhimtobringtreasuresfromthisstorehousetobrilliantly illuminate either conversation,or the addresseshewas frequently calledupon todeliver at dentalsociety meetingsand graduatingexercises. About 1850, Dr.Dwinelle’s papers on the use, workings, and value of the microscope to clinical medicine anddentistry began to appear.In an early monograph,the'lateDr.MarionSims,whowashisintimatefriend,states that “it was his friend Dwinnelle’s enthusiasm which first lead him to become acquainted with the wonders and revelations of the microscope.”The micro scope was Dwinelle’s pet hobby: his interest in it was his chief consolation in hislateryears. He was a fluent writer and contributed many valuable papers to the jour nals andto society proceedings.His series of articles upon the use of A. J. Watt’s CrystalGold, published in the “American Journal of Dental Science” about1854-55,werespeciallyvaluable.Theyundoubtedlyledtoanappre ciationof the cohesivepropertiesof gold,andtotheusethathassincebeen madeof itincontouring goldfillings,andincidentally toimprovemethods of inserting crowns.Untilthe advent of crystal gold, cohesion was not con sideredinmanipulatinggoldfoilinfillingteeth.Dr.Dwinelle’ssuccessin328HISTORYOFDENTALSURGERY buildingout andrestoringtheshapeandusefulnessofbadlybrokendown teethwith crystal goldledto the samebeing done withfoil,andwasthebe ginning of that which has done so much to advance the manipulative branch of operative dentistry.Some other of his contributions were onDeep-seated DentalCaries,PreparationofCavities,VacuumChambers,MountingCheo plastic,Cocaine,Fillings,Toothache,etc. By his skill, he commanded the confidence of physicians and surgeons, and helped in an unusual degree to secure recognition for our specialty.He stood for many yearsasabondbetweentheparentprofessionanditsyoungotf spring.He performedoperations on the jaw for removal and resection sim ilar to those that are to-day the pride and glory of modern surgery. Accountsoftheseappearedinvariousscientificjournals,illustratedby wood-cuts, the work of his own hands.His professional work was eminently artistic and finished, and for originality he was in the class with Bonwill. He introduced a number of useful inventions and methods that were inno vations,among themthe bandedpost-crown,describedby him in the“Amer ican Journal of DentalScience,” Vol.V, page278, April,1855, and a system of bridging teeth. In1850heoriginatedtheuseofand gavetotheprofession transfer car bon paper usedfor articulating dentures,crowns andfillings,—thisidea was later patentedinEngland,“asahighly improvedarticulatingpaper.” In recognition of his high professional attainments in 1847, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor ofDentalSurgery.In1849theWashingtonMedicalUniversityofBalti more,Md., conferreduponhimthehonorary degreeofDoctorofMedicine. In1877theHamiltonCollegeconferreduponhimthehonorarydegreeof Master of Arts. In 1850, feeling that the sphere in which he moved was too restricted, he removedtoNewYorkCity,where heatoncetooka highpesition,andfor manyyearsenjoyedalucrativepractice,fewmencommandinghigherfees than he received, his income one year amounting to $32,000.Hewashighly ethicalandmaintainedareputationforprofessionalintegritythatmadea deep impression upon the younger men of the profession.In1866theNew YorkCollegeofDentistrywasorganizedinNewYorkCityandbeganits first session November,1866, with Dr.Norman W. Kingsley asDean andDr. Dwinelle as Professor of Operative Dentistry.He was a popular lecturer and demonstrator, and to struggling dental students,artists, andwriters hegave kindencouragement andfinancialaid,aswellastoinstitutionsofartandHISTORYOFDENTALSURGERY329 learning.Beinganomnivorousreaderandanamateurinfinearts,books andpictures were his chief delight.He gathered a fine libraryandart col lection, which he left at his death to hissister. He wasalways ready to recognize merit in others,andmade an able de fence of Dr. Morton’s claim to priority in the discovery of ether as a general anaesthetic in surgery; this was published in 1849 at a time the medical pro fession was divided in opinion,much indoubt,andbitterindiscussion.It wasentitled,“TheCasketandtheRibbon,or 'theHonorsofEther.”Re prints of this defence of Dr.Mortonwere circulated throughoutthe United States and in Europe and brought him into prominence. Dr.Dwinellewasa manofremarkablepersonality,ofawarmheartand generousimpulses;hisoffice wasalwaysopentohisconfreres,towhomhe willingly demonstrated his many methods. Hewasanenthusiasticadvocateofdentalsocietiesandoftenaidedin their organization and material prosperity.He was an early member of the AmericanSocietyofDentalSurgeons,oneof the organizers of theAmerican DentalConvention,theNewYorkOdontologicalSociety,ofwhichhewas presidentin1891;theFirstDistrictDentalSocietyofNewYork,the AmericanDentalAssociation,the AmericanAcademyof DentalScience,and theNewYorkCountyMedicalSociety. Foroverthirty-five years he wasa prominent andpublic-spiritedcitizen ofNewYorkCity,andbecameconnectedwithorganizationsthatarenow permanentsources ofpowerandprogress,suchastheNewYorkHistorical Society, the National Academy of Design, the St. Nicholas Society, the Union LeagueClub,theNewEnglandSociety,AlumniSocietyofHamiltonCol lege, and the Holland Masonic Lodge. In 1851-52 he made a trip to Europe, where his fame had preceded him, and where he was entertained by the leading men of his profession.He vis ited the World’s Fair at London, and wrote numerous entertaining letters for publicationconcerningEuropeandentistryandmedicine. March24,1888,ontheanniversaryofhisfiftiethyearofpractice,the profession of New York tendered hima banquet, which wasattended by the leadingspiritsoftheprofession,andwhichwasamemorableaffair.June, 1892, broken in health and crushed bycircumstances of hazardous speculation thatfinanciallywreckedhim,heretiredtothehomeofhischildhoodat Cazenovia, built by his grandfather, Jeremiah Whipple, in1806, inwhich his father 'and mother were married in 1813, and in which he was born and where he passed quietly the twilight of his declining days.330HISTORYOFDENTALSURGERY His personalfriends in the AmericanDental Association, learning of his condition, hastened with generous impulseto make his last days comfortable bya substantialfinancialcontribution, whichwascontinued yearly until his death. Dr.DwinellediedFebruary13,1896,ofnervousprostration,broughton by overwork,atthe age of seventy-fiveyears,after anillnessof nearly four years, and was buried in the family plot in Evergreen Cemetery, Cazenovia. Byforce ofgeniusandprodigiousindustryheamasseda largefortune; thisdisappeared,butheleftarichheritagetotheprofessionthatheim proved and honored and did much to elevate to a high art and science. Hewasaman ofmanygiftsandwouldhaveadornedanycalling.The lateW.W.Storyusedtosayof him,that“agreatsculptorhadbeenlost throughhischoiceofaprofession.”Beforethebarhewouldhavebeena great advocate: inthe medicalprofessionhewould havebeen a great physi cian or surgeon.He chose to be a great dentist. ThefactscontainedinthissketchwereobtainedfromMissLouise8.Dwinelle, sister ofthe subjectofthis sketch.andfromthe“DentalReview,”March15,1896;the “Dental Cosmos,” April, 1896;and the “International Dental Journal, " April 1, 1896.Next >