NEWELL SILL JENKINS the Subject of This Sketch Died Suddenly In

NEWELL SILL JENKINS AN APPRECIATION EDWIN T. DARBY Philadelphia, Pa. The subject of this sketch died suddenly in the harbor of Havre, France, on an outward bound passage to Europe, September 25, 1919. Dr. Jenkins was born at Falmouth, Massachusetts, December 29, 1840. He was the son of Charles Weston Jenkins and Phoebe (Bishop) Jenkins. He received his early education in Farmington School, Maine. His ancestors were ship-builders and ship-owners. In his youth he had a strong predilection to follow the sea, which arose partly from a strong desire for adventure. In all probability this desire would have been gratified but for the wish of his mother that he engage in some occupation less fraught with danger. Accordingly he turned his attention to dentistry and entered the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, graduating therefrom in the spring of 1863. He began practice at Bangor, Maine, where he remained for a short time. At the close of the Civil War he went to Berlin, Germany, where he associated himself with Dr. Francis P. Abbott who was at that time well established in the German capital. His relations with Dr. Ab- bott were most happy; and the friendship thus formed was of the most intimate character and lasted throughout the life of Dr. Abbott. In casting about for a permanent field of endeavor Dr. Jenkins was en- couraged by Dr. Abbott to make his home in Dresden, as at that time the field was an open one for a progressive American dentist. Acting upon this suggestion Dr. Jenkins removed to Dresden and there remained for forty-five years. Dr. Jenkins possessed all the characteristics which make for suc- cess. He very soon acquired a large practice, and numbered among his clientele many of the nobility and crowned heads of Germany, 187 Downloaded from jdr.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on June 24, 2015 For personal use only. No other uses without permission. 188 EDWIN T. DARBY Russia, Austria and Italy, beside being one of the best known Ameri- can dentists of the world. He received from the King of Saxony the title of "Geheimer Hofrat," which is one of great distinction. He was also decorated with the Albrechtsorder by the King of Saxony. His services were in such demand in other countries that he spent a month of each year in both Vienna and Warsaw. Few dentists in any country have conducted so large a practice and over such a long period of years. Possessing skill of a high order and a personality most delightful, he not only attracted people from all parts of Europe, but Americans, who made their homes in foreign countries as well as those visiting Germany, sought his professional services. He kept in touch with the latest of American methods of practice and was on intimate terms with members of the professions in his native country. He was perhaps most widely known to the dental profession as the inventor of "porcelain enamel" or better known as the "porcelain inlay." With a desire to bring this to a degree of perfection he devoted his energies and spent hundreds of hours after laborious days at his operating chair. He was greatly assisted in these experiments by Mrs. Jenkins, who made hundreds of formulas combining ma- terials, colors and shades to meet the requirements of the perfect inlay. It was partly in recognition of this great work that, on his seventieth birthday, the American Dental Club of Paris tendered him a banquet at which representatives of practically every dental society of Europe, England and America were present, and gifts of almost every description were showered upon him. If he was not an active member he was made an honorary member of every national dental society of Europe as well as of Great Britain and the United States. Dr. Jenkins was always a ready writer. Notwith- standing his laborious practice he took time to prepare articles, for the dental journals, which were of a high order and read with unusual interest. But it was not alone as a professional man that Dr. Jenkins's life was interesting and important, and replete with acts of greatness and goodness. He had not been long a resident of Dresden before the large American colony resident there discovered that a gentleman of refinement and culture had settled among them, and he was ac- corded a prominent place in the social and intellectual habits of that Downloaded from jdr.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on June 24, 2015 For personal use only. No other uses without permission. N. S. JENKINS-AN APRECIATION 189 colony. He was much sought after in all functions pertaining to the reception and entertainment of visitors of importance from America and elsewhere. Although he never renounced his American citizen- ship, he mingled freely with the German people and was highly es- teemed by all and greatly beloved by many. The cordial greeting which the writer often observed that Dr. Jenkins received at the hands of the citizens of Dresden was evidence of the high regard which they entertained for him. Dr. Jenkins's homelife was ideal. Many years ago he was fortu- nate in being able to purchase at Loschwitz, five miles distant from Dresden, a most beautiful villa with twenty-five acres of land en- closed by a high stone-wall. This property was formerly owned by a pupil of Thorwaldsen. The owner was a sculptor of note and had spent some years in St. Petersburgh, Russia, where he had executed in marble in the Winter Palace the frieze of the triumphal march of Alexander the Great into Babylon. Returning from Russia he had laid out these grounds and built a large and elegant house of Italian design. In these grounds he had also built beautiful little studios, while fountains and statues of marble and bronze added beauty to the place. In the large living room at Thorwald-for that was the name given to the villa-the sculptor had produced a replica of the wonderful frieze first made for the Winter Palace. At the death of the former owner this place came into possession of Dr. Jenkins, and it was there he entertained his friends and acquaintances. Any one who has been a guest at Thorwald will long remember the genuine hospitality and affectionate regard which was extended by both the host and hostess. One could not be long with Dr. Jen- kins without noticing a spirit of friendliness which was manifest toward everything about him. The horses that waited at his door to take him to the city were each morning looking for the lump of sugar which he carried in his pocket for them. The dog also awaited a friendly word from his master, which he was sure to get. Dr. Jenkins's spirit was one of kindliness and helpfulness, which was evident in so many ways. When he became interested in porcelain enamel he was entering a field almost unknown to him, and he must obtain information from every source possible. The glass factories and potteries of Saxony afforded him facilities which other localities THE JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH VOL. A, NO. 1 Downloaded from jdr.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on June 24, 2015 For personal use only. No other uses without permission. 190 EDWIN T. DARBY did not possess. Among those to whom he applied for information was an old Bohemian glass-blower who had become very skillful in the making of glass flowers. Dr. Jenkins made known to him his special field of research and he found the old man most ready and willing to impart any information he possessed. And then Dr. Jenkins said to him: "Cannot I do something for you in return for this information?" Whereupon the glass-blower opened his heart to Dr. Jenkins and told him that he was sending all of his best flowers to Harvard University in America but that his lack of knowledge of English made it difficult to conduct business relations with hisAmeri- can purchasers and that he would be glad of some help in that line. Dr. Jenkins straightened out his accounts, forwarded a bill for de- liveries already made and in due time a draft for several thousand dollars was received. Nor was this all. Dr. Jenkins assisted him in obtaining other and larger orders which enabled the glass-blower to send nearly his whole production to America at greatly increased prices. Dr. Jenkins's life was one of helpfulness. Those who knew him best have told me that almost daily he did some act of kindness which would help others. Especially was this true in regard to his own countrymen. He never lost his love and deep interest for America; and although he had spent more than half his life in Ger- many, his interest in international affairs was as keen as when he first went abroad. He numbered among his friends many of the most eminent men in every walk of life. Baron Holstein of the German Imperial Foreign Office often consulted him in regard to American affairs. Dr. Jenkins was ever solicitous that other nations should understand our disinterested aims. He published many articles in German papers during the Boer and Spanish wars, when feeling against America and England was intense. He took intense interest in the near eastern question-the emancipation of the Christian races- repeatedly visiting Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, the bearer of letters of introduction to their sovereigns. After Dr. Jenkins retired from active practice he spent considerable time in Paris, often visiting his home in Dresden.

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