left to quacks and charlatans until Pierre Fauchard laid the foundations of modern in the early years of the eight- eenth century, publishing his famous book “Le Chirurgien Dentiste, ou Traite des Dents” in 1728, a work which not only won for him the admiration and respect of his contemporaries but has preserved his fame to the present day as author of the first scientific textbook on dentistry. Fauchard’s professional education began when he entered the French navy at the early age of fifteen as a student surgeon under a surgeon-major named Poteleret, to whom he later referred with gratitude as having interested him in diseases of the teeth and taught him much about them. The terrible prevalence of scurvy, espe- cially on warships, which carried large crews, besides marines and soldiers, must have provided plenty of clinical material for those interested in diseases of the teeth and mouth. After serving three years in the navy Fauchard resigned and started practicing in , specializing in dis- eases of the teeth and mouth. In 1718 Fauchard moved to , where he passed the remainder of his long life, dying there in 1761 when he was eighty-three years old. From his arrival he was heartily wel- comed by both the physicians and sur- geons of Paris; his superior skill in his specialty was recognized, and difficult cases were turned over to him by the - ing professional men. He acquired a splen- did practice and made a fortune which enabled him to purchase a chateau in the neighborhood of Paris. Pier re Fauchard , Surg eon -Denti st . A Brief The publication of “Le Chirurgien Account of the Beginning of Modern Dentiste,” in 1728, assured his fame. The Dentistry, the First Dental Textbook, and book went through a number of French Professional Life Two Hundred Years editions and a German translation was Ago. By Bernard W. Weinberger, d .d .s ., published in 1733. Strangely enough it with an introduction by James J. Walsh, never has been published in English. One m.d . Minneapolis, Pierre Fauchard Acad- of the most important features of Fau- emy, 1941. chard’s book is the emphasis he places on In a brief introduction Dr. Walsh the necessity for wider education and points out that though the ancient Greeks higher requirements for those who intend and Romans, and especially the Etrus- to practice dentistry. In 1699 an edict had cans, practiced various dental procedures, been issued requiring all those who dentistry was practically disregarded or wished to practice dentistry in Paris to undergo an examination by the first sur- ing been buried in oblivion for several geon to the King, and the four provosts centuries. in charge, in the presence of the Dean Dr. Weinberger has done justice to a of the Faculty of , the Dean of great man, and in this delightful little the Surgeons’ Corporation, and a number book recalls the rise of modern dentistry. of other officials. But this regulation A number of excellent illustrations add applied only to Paris, and it was never greatly to its interest and value. efficiently utilized. Fauchard lays great stress on the relationship between general diseases and those of the teeth and mouth. He specifically denies that caries is due to worms in the teeth, a belief which was not entirely discarded until many years later. In filling teeth Fauchard scraped the cavity carefully, trying to leave no debris under the filling. As filling ma- terial he used tin or lead. For artificial teeth he used human teeth, hippopotamus ivory, or ox bones and teeth, or walrus tusks. Weinberger gives a list of the chapter headings in Fauchard’s book which show how thoroughly he covered the science of dentistry in all its ramifica- tions. His description of the anatomy of the teeth includes their microscopic struc- ture. He believed that the most usual cause of the destruction of teeth was lack of care in cleansing them. Although tooth- brushes were in use Fauchard thought small sponges were preferable for cleans- ing the teeth. He states that headaches and earaches were frequently caused by carious teeth, and could be cured by appropriate dental treatment. After an amusing description of the methods em- ployed by quacks and charlatans, Fau- chard describes some of the local remedies he employed, chiefly spices such as ginger, clove and mace. As Weinberger points out there was one topical application in favor with Fauchard which indicates that he was not entirely emancipated from contemporary practices: for pain due to caries he advised rinsing the mouth every morning and evening with the patient’s own urine. Fauchard anticipated Riggs in the accuracy with which he described pyorrhea alveolaris, but, as Weinberger says, Riggs deserves to have the condition known by his name because his account of it was entirely original, Fauchard’s hav-