NEW ZEALAND DENTAL ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6, 7 January 1908, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND DENTAL ASSOCIATION.

PEOPOSED DENTAL HOSPITAL. j ] ______ i ( i. public meeting was held last night i s j_ the Vuekland Grammar School hall in ; connection with the annual conference , of the Sew Zealand Dental Association j Jγ present being held in Auckland. The'" chairman of the Education Board (Mr. , T J 8,-,TnainB ,-,T nain presided. Amon; tho=a , Sir 3laurice CTRorke. , VESTS- F. E. Baume. M.P.. W. H. New- , ton (president of the New Zfaland , Educational Institute!. Mr. G. Knight", (chairman of the Hospital and Cbarit-L able Aid Board!. Dr. Roberton ivii-e-,, president of the Auckland branch of the j British Medieol Association), A. Hoby. j_j)<;. G. E. Payne Philpots. M.A.C.D. j . (o f "Melbourne). Dr. H- Cox ipresident;' c f t __ y e w Dental Asodation i, j aid a considerable number of others. Xhe chairman read letters from his' Worship the Mayor (Mr. A. 11. ilyers) r and Dr. Inriis ' president of the Auck-j land branch of the British Medical Asso- j eiationi. expressing regret for their in-! ability to attend the meeting. Mr. Bagnall. in his opening remarks, j said the importance to the individual or j ti>e satinn of a due regard for the condition of testa could not be over-esti-mated, and credit was due to the Dental \ Association for their efforts in impress- > ' ing this on the public. Dr. Cos. president of the Association, | iji the course of his address, said that ( there *vere two factors which led up to I, the ureseat meeting. One was tlie ; . naßißg ft-t Cratists Act at the end of j< 1904: the other the formation of the Naw j, Zealand Dental Association in 1005. The j, TJeniists Act handed over to tho Jenats', of the University of New Zealand the I \ regulation of the curriculum for dental I. £tadent=. This was as it should be. The , j Senate had already arranged their den- j, tal syllabus so well that the Genera! . Medical Council of Great Britain had i • arr;ed to r?comisC their degree of B.D.S. I, (bachelor of dental surger> ■. This vras ; onK tk" second branch in the Kmp'.rc ! ■ ■Fhiefl had bfpn .sranted =uch distinction, ij tie first being Victoria, whera they had .; had a dental colkge for more rhan 10 - rears, and it was only a little more than j \ two years since their degree was recog- i ] nisei'in England. All the men who join- j, td ths profession in New Zealand in the ■, future would be obliged to hold either ( that degree or its equivalent. He com- , mended" the work being done by Pro- ; , hssor Pickeriil. director of the Dental , School and Hospital at Dunedin. H> ( referred to the widespread degeneracy of j ( children's teeth, and said he believed that \ , defective teeth probably affected the ;, health of humanity more than any other ,; condition. It was probable that tuber- j. cu!o?is and many other serious troubles i, could find no more fruitful soil for de- j VElopmcEt than a septic mouth. It was , certainly a most difßcult matter to grap- \. rie with*this evil. Firstly, to prevent and , remedy the evil—that was. to do all that eoaM "bo done to alleviate and help those ; vrho already had bad teeth. Secondly, i. to find out all that was possible a≤ to the j rral cause at work, producing this dep'.or- j ab!s dental condition, and then to try j to rind, a practical means of preventing j its occurrence. As to ths first, he was indebted to Mr. T. A. Hunter, of Dunedin. for the suggestion thnt it was i worthy of serious considsra* t'Ti by the] mediea! faculties in New Zealand and : eteefcteEc that .i cotirsc of or.il hygiene, propliylasis. and dontai pathology . should be included \n the crarri-'uhim of, the medical student, ?o that medical men mijht have a Piorc thorough knowledge of orsi j.'psis. i.e.. poisonous condition of mouth, the deadly effects of which had ret until lately been sufficiently realised ] by tire medical profession. Of co;'.r=G the next step was to have EOite place lit, should be a dental hospi- j tal) where such work could be done at a j loaiina! feo. Some months ago. the j statement was made by the Hon. E. Mc- j ya.b. Minister for Agriculture, that j '£16.000 a year was to be expended for j the purpose of ensuring a pure milk sup-1 ply in this Dominion. "While entirely ! spreeing that such money would be well i Epent. would it not be well to spend some , aJ?o in arranging for the teeth of thn ' chiiiiren in our public schools being attended to at a notaiu-al cost, where the parents so wished? The Auckland Dental Aj&otiation some time ago had inter-viewc-d the Auckland Hospital Board, rcqnesting them to arrange for a practical Dental Department in connection with their institution. The answer of the Board ; .va= that they could not see their . Tray at prfsent to undertake it. The | Eon. G»o. FowM>. Minister for Public Health, favoured thi> A similar icheme had been practically arranged in ' Ortistclmrch and-Duni'din. Ths asso-.ia-tion intended t«j intprview the Hospital Boan! again on tho subject. Failing their assistance, they wouid do their best to get the member? of the dental . profession in Auckland to ;irri'.ngr- for a dental hopital. Another problem ■*such iieed the denta! profession was the question a~ to whfthfr they wcvv Teally doing all that could an-.l should le done, even when they had established } adrnta! hospital. Ho advocated the appoiEtHicnt of a Royal Commission to investigate tho causes of defective teeth, tad that, this work could best •■c undertaken by the British liovcrnRfnt. ■"■<:(>■! r: loranissinr.." Dr. Cos r-orc- j failed, -should bp composed of z'a<> most. ; :eamcni am ~,■ ,!.,.. j nc i_,_i n g r _ e _i-1 ™ men. dentists, chemists, stientists. .?*- They might first "f all collect and ■grange- all tho authentic information hi- , arailaWe from different, sources. f th P~ should travel and carpfuliy j -*y tiip conditions in many countries. •j . a? China. Japan, India. Africa. ;-«tta Ajnerica. et.-. There thov coi:ld ]. Tl»e pan and prwnt congbn nf the ~ thp P food c , oth ; J > dnn-atk- aad goneral conditions: 3. •-V-u r and l! "- «"ater supply; 4. the °'™«nt o> dental work required or dons'. and other questions should bo JJS«? OU.M. Quito po,siby •«« =übjoct., would be materially assistUμ authentic a:;d reliable' records •SiTi^f ined - The »- not till then, + ' - I to formulate *a.t,isfaem*. r-i c^ej ] L "-ho::- teeth dateriorat- '■^ (>^: ' SUt 'h ;1 scheme were underGovJ^, 1 '" lbe a; !-pices of thr British C'T , :* 1 f whic . h '- voui - S ive tht ' «*«• ■sith n \i lUC ' ( - omm >i=ion derinite staadins licfln * !:at and thereby greatly tafcil: " xbp ' :r searches) and also Wir." I! °° 3 iilrgo ' c:!l( ' and with «^ral :*onld fi £ a S n 16 ? ti v l: : " Cn il "- cn g them - il ■\ Z ".-. L ° h -avo sufficient weight to S%' Surely such aSride(s , , a ? d serious dissa?-. which was e>^ '{.™ 7 , unknown 100 years ago. fcUoa " '7 ?aWe of so; np satisfactory so- " m ccavillce d that some "such that « c «sarr, and I trust th e " nieans is forthcoming, alb C \ professioi » itself will eventu*nW t) t0 ' ieal V th the ra:,ttL,r - of •aaiefer." srcatest difficulty is. as asual,

A nmnber of other addresses were de-1 livered, the speakers including Sir " Maurice O-Rorke, Mr. Knight" Mr. Baume. M.P., Mr. W. H. Newton. Mr. Payne Philpots, and Dr. Roberton.' The lattsr referring to the proposal for the establishment of a dental hospital in Auckland, expressed the opinion that it should be situated centrally, rather than at the hospital, as it would thereby be more accessible to the poorer elasse's of! the community. Th" chairman expressed his pleasure j at the addresses delivered, and moved! a rota of thanks to Dr. Cox, which was j earri?d by acclamation. In replying Dr. i Cox said the dentists had not overlooked; the advantage.-, of a separate dental hos-' pita!, hut had deemed it wise to first con- j suit the hospital authorities on the i i matter. " I i