A History of Dentistry from the most Ancient Times until the end of the Eighteenth Century. Vincenzo Guerini
auspices of the National Dental Association, in token of the distinguished author’s appreciation of American dental development.
The Association, deeply sensible of this high compliment, and fully realizing this opportunity for accomplishing a purpose which had hitherto seemed impossible, gladly arranged for the publication of the book. After the delay incidental to the production of a work of this character, and the necessary subscribers being obtained, this exhaustive history of early dentistry, by the greatest authority on that subject in the world, is presented for the serious consideration of the thoughtful and studious members of the profession.
Dr. Guerini has spent many years of his professional life and large amounts of money in collecting the material for this work. Our historical records are scattered through a vast literature, and much of it is of great antiquity, and it has never before been gathered together and arranged in such a consecutive, logical order.
The importance and value of dental art and science as a humane service are well recognized, but we are so accustomed to view the question from the modern standpoint that we, generally speaking, overlook the immense work done by our predecessors reaching far back in unbroken line to the mists of antiquity. It was they who laid the foundations upon which modern dentistry has been built, and no man can peruse the record of their efforts as set forth in Dr. Guerini’s book without developing a higher appreciation of their work and a keener realization of the worth and dignity of the calling which they in common with ourselves followed.
It has been deemed wise to make a few amendments and commentaries, and when that has been done the amendment has in each case been inserted as a foot-note and designated by the initials of the commentator.
The supervision of the work while passing through the press and the correction of proofs have been entrusted to Dr. Edward C. Kirk, of the Committee; the index has been prepared by the chairman.
Charles McManus, D.D.S.,
Chairman of Committee on History of Dentistry, National Dental Association, U. S. A.
A HISTORY OF DENTISTRY.
PART I.
FIRST PERIOD—ANTIQUITY.
INTRODUCTION.
The first beginnings of dental art were undoubtedly the same as those of general medicine, for it is evident that in primitive times, when the healing art was still in its rudimentary stage, no divisions could have existed in it.
Scientific medicine, whose most ancient representative is Hippocrates, was preceded for the course of many centuries by sacerdotal medicine and by popular medicine.
Necessity, instinct, and even mere chance must have taught primitive man some simple curative practices, in the same manner that they taught him gradually to prepare his food and to satisfy the other wants of life. It was in this way that popular medicine, which is found without exception among all races and is perhaps as ancient as man himself, had its earliest beginning.
As regards sacerdotal medicine, it was principally derived from the false ideas prevalent among primitive peoples about the causes of maladies. When, for example, an individual in full health was seized with sudden illness, no one could imagine, in those times of profound ignorance, that this happened in a natural manner; the fact was therefore attributed to a supernatural cause, that is, to his having been stricken by the wrath of some divinity. In this state of things it was believed to be absolutely necessary to propitiate the inimical or vengeful divinity, so that the patient might be restored to health. It was, therefore, very natural that the intervention of sacerdotal aid should be sought, that is, of the supposed intermediaries between human beings and the gods. The priests, on their side, were ready to occupy themselves with such cases, for their services were always well recompensed, and, added to this, if the patient recovered, the respect and veneration of the people for the sacerdotal caste was considerably increased, whilst if he did not, this simply meant that he or his family was not worthy of receiving the desired pardon, or that, anyhow, the Divinity, for good reasons of his own, would not grant it.
However, it being to the interest of the priests to obtain the greatest possible number of cures, they did not limit themselves merely to offering up prayers and sacrifices and to imposing on the patients the purification of themselves and other religious exercises; they also put into practice—always to the accompaniment of ritualistic words and ceremonies—the means of cure which their own experience and that of others suggested to them. The art of healing the sick was transmitted from generation to generation in the sacerdotal caste, acquiring an ever greater development and complexity in proportion to the making of new observations and fresh experiences. It is to be understood that in this manner the priests became more and more skilful in the treatment of disease; they were really the doctors of those times, albeit their curative practices were mixed up with an ample dose of imposture. This, at least in many cases, must have had, besides, the advantage of acting favorably on the patients by means of suggestion.
We learn from Herodotus that the Babylonians used to carry the sick into the public squares; the passers-by were expected to make inquiries as to their illnesses, and if it so happened that they or any of their acquaintances had been similarly afflicted, to come to the aid of the patient by offering their advice and making known the means of treatment that had effected recovery, exhorting him, at the same time, to have recourse to them.
This usage had without doubt its advantages, as it must have led, little by little, to the recognition of such remedies as were most efficacious, among all those recommended, against the various maladies.
Another custom that served to furnish useful elements for the development of the art of medicine was that of the votive tables, hung in the temples by patients after their recovery, in sign of gratitude for having received the invoked blessings. These tables contained a brief description of the malady and of the treatment that had proved useful in dispelling it. If we reflect that dental affections are often of long duration and very tormenting, the thought naturally suggests itself that among the votive tables not a few must have referred to maladies of the teeth.
The numberless cases recorded by votive tables afforded precious clinical material, which without doubt was utilized in a great measure by the priests in compiling the earliest medical writings, and, as we shall see later, Hippocrates himself stored up all the medical records existing in the celebrated temple of Cos.
Introduction of Ebers’ Papyrus, transcribed in Egyptian hieroglyphic characters.
CHAPTER I.
DENTAL ART AMONG THE EGYPTIANS.
Among the people of ancient times, the Egyptian nation was, without doubt, the one in which civilization first took its rise and had its earliest development. From the time of Menes, first King of Egypt (3892 B.C.), the inhabitants of the valley of the Nile were well advanced on the path of civilization, and under the fourth dynasty, dating from 3427 years before the Christian era, they had already attained a high degree of progress.
Medical art and science in every country have always progressed in proportion to the general civilization, for the treatment of disease is one of the first and most important manifestations of civilized life. It is therefore natural that the healing art should have flourished earlier in Egypt than elsewhere, that is, in the midst of the oldest civilized people.
There,