Address At Opening of the Research Institute of the National Dental Association February 7, 1916

The meeting was called to order after the dinner, by Dr. Weston A. Price, President of the Institute, who presided.

PRESIDENT PRICE. It has been said many times during the developmental work of the Research Department that it is coming at the psychological moment. Someone asked me what that was. I said it was simply an expression of the plan of Providence. I think it is entirely fitting that we should begin the work of this institute with a divine invocation. We had expected that Dr. Thwing would be able to make that for us, but on account of another important duty he was required to leave earlier than he desired to, and Dr. George Hugh Birney will make the invocation prayer.

DR. BIRNEY. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, the Giver of life, the Giver of every good and perfect gift, we pause to bow before Thee in the acknowledgment of Thy fatherly care and of our dependence upon Thee. We thank Thee for all good works begun and continued and completed in Thee, and we desire Thy fatherly benediction upon our efforts in the furthering of all good work, now and evermore, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRESIDENT PRICE. I shall not undertake to read many of the very many letters and telegrams of congratulation, altho they would be interesting. You cannot know, however, the strength we feel in the united support of the dental profession. (At this point President Price read several telegrams.)

These are but samples of the wide spread desire that this work shall bud at this time into great usefulness for humanity.

In looking over your program you will see that we have rather a lengthy one, but I am sure it is going to be so pleasant that you will not find it tedious. You will note in the program a directory of the rooms, and when you go to those rooms you will find perhaps that they are used this evening for a coat-room, or for a kitchen, or perhaps for some of the banquet rooms, and you will understand that we could not have every room in order for its regular work. You will be pleased, I am sure, when you go down stairs to find that it has been made into a reserve library, and a metallurgical department which, though with limited equipment at present, is very strong in the hands of Dr. Frank A. Fahrenwald and his assistants. You will find, as you go to the bacteriological department, an equipment ample for a splendid and a worthy work with Mr. Bensing in charge. I will not take time to give you a complete review of this directory, but we will ask you, after the lectures, to be free to go all over the buildings from top to bottom, and don’t think that there are any places that you are barred from. There are no skeletons in any of the closets. I think it has been thoroughly cleaned, and you are at liberty to go anywhere and everywhere.

I cannot announce the program without first expressing our profound appreciation and gratitude to the friends of the work because of the many expressions that have been given in a very practical form. You will scarcely realize that almost the entire equipment of this building as it stands now has been given as a gift by some one, or some group of people. I do not know when anything has stirred my heart more than to have a large business firm send a representative here to measure up some of these large rooms for rugs and after they had measured first one and then another, to have them say to us, “Do you not need something else besides these rugs?”–because nearly all these splendid rugs were a gift from that firm. And the same spirit represented by others, “Isn’t there something else you need?” In our modesty we said, “We do need some chairs for the board room.” “All right, we will send you out half a dozen. Isn’t there something else you need?” “Well, we could use a big flattop desk.” “All right; what else do you need?” We told them we ought not tell them of anything more. They assured us it was all right and asked, “what else do you need?” “Well, we could use a large flat-top table, suitable for the board room.” “Yes, and what else do you need? Don’t you need a large stand-up desk?” We suggested that we prefer to have our stenographers sit down to do their clerical work.” “All right,” he said, “we will send you some more chairs for the board room.”

We could hardly exhaust the generosity of some of these big firms. I have not the time to tell yon of all the good things. If you have not already, you will peep into the clinical room upstairs and find a big equipment, but not half of what has already been promised us to go into that room. In my hurry I may leave out some of the important ones, but I will name over some of the firms that have been helping us: The Sterling and Welch Company, The Halle Brothers, many of the big printing firms and publishing firms–Foreman and Bassett, S. Barker and Son, the Burrows Bros., Schuemann Jones Co., F. W. Roberts, The Hub of the dental manufacturers, Ransom and Randolph Co., S. S. White, Pelton and Crane, The Cleveland Dental Manufacturing Company, The Consolidated. But at this time I want in a public way to express our profound appreciation for this generosity that has made it possible to use the funds so generously given for research, for research work instead of for equipment.

And then I must speak of the splendid generosity of the dental profession. I am sure there has been no precedent in any profession, of the generosity and support of the dental profession as expressed in connection with this developmental work. When I tell you that practically ninety per cent of the funds for carrying on these researches that have been going on for three years, in this department, have come from the dentists, amounting to approximately $60,000.00 from the dentists, in cash and pledges, not including the money to purchase this building, you will see somewhat of the earnestness with which they are taking up this work. And that does not represent a coerced contribution, it is a voluntary contribution. Have you asked yourself why they did it? It was because they knew and felt that humanity needs this research and that we owe it to humanity to find out for them some of the causes of infection, for example, the cause for dental caries, and the means for preventing mouth infections, and a great many of the other problems, and I say it was because of that conscious duty in the hearts of the dental profession that they became a part of the movement. And those of us who have been (incidentally) officers in connection with this work have felt that it came at just the psychological moment. It could not have been otherwise; it was because of the support of the dental profession of the country.

We shall have our first greeting to you from the Vice-President of the Research Institute of the National Dental Association and from the man who is also the President of the National Dental Association, Dr. Thomas P. Hinman, of Atlanta, Ga., who will address you and bring you greetings from the Research Institute and also tell you something of the purpose of this corporation. He is probably the most loved man today in the entire dental profession–Dr. Thomas P. Hinman.

DR. HINMAN. It is very kind of Dr. Price to thus introduce me. There is nothing sweeter in the world than friendship. There is nothing more wonderful in the world than love. It has been the theme of the poets, it is the whole theme of the Bible–love. And what has made possible this institution? Love.

I am requested to extend to you, presidents of universities, distinguished visitors, members of the hoards of trustees of universities, members of the boards of trustees of the hospitals, and the dental profession of Cleveland, and the visitors, and to the sweetest of all, the ladies, the greetings of this institution. And as I represent this great and glorious profession, and as it happens that I am president of the National Dental Association, an honor of course I fully appreciate that I do not deserve, and an honor that I feel was given in love instead of justice, I feel the responsibility of extending to each and every one of you, and the pleasure, too, of extending a greeting that is heart-felt.

It is said that southern hospitality is the greatest hospitality. Are you all conscious of the fact that this wonderful state of Ohio has given to the world, in medicine, in dentistry, in law, in theology, in politics, some of the greatest men, and men who have made more history than any other state in the Union? And why? Because you sprang from the cavalier stock, that is the reason, did you ever think of it? It is said that Virginia is the mother of presidents. True, and so is Ohio. And I believe that to this wonderful state, which has so generously supported this institution, is due the greatest credit that we can possibly give.

Now, as to the purposes of this institution. You are already familiar with it; there is no reason why I should tell you very much of the purposes. It is for humanity and it is for love.

I know that there has been more or less of a misapprehension on the part of some of the profession who have not known why this institution was placed here, and there may have been a feeling that some of the grants that have been made by the Research Commission will be discontinued and that there will be an attempt at concentration in this place. But I can tell you, gentlemen, on my honor as a man, there is no word of truth in it. On the contrary, the effort will be to amplify, if possible, and to increase the amounts that have been given as grants, and to make more grants. But it was necessary that this work be centralized.

Now, to all of you who believe in the Infinite and I am sure you all do, because you can not help it, down deep in your hearts you must believe in it, let me say that I have become firmly convinced, after years of work, that this Research Commission, and that this building being placed in our hands, being so adaptable to our use, I say I am firmly convinced that these are the work of Providence. I do not say this without carefully considering; I believe it. And this institution, which will be for the benefit of humanity, will live longer than any member that is present here tonight.

I will not detain you longer, but only say that it is with joy inexpressible that I greet you, for I love you every one, of course the ladies. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT PRICE. We are honored by having guests from the far South, one of whom has just spoken to you, and guests from the far East and the far West. We find it difficult for lack of time to even tell you of them, but we are so glad to have them with us. And in behalf of the guests present, both dental, medical and also our friends from the laity, we have selected a man who has perhaps a larger interest and a larger heart for municipal interests than any member of the dental profession in America, a man who at present is the mayor of his city, the president of the Board of Education of his city, the guiding hand of the dental profession for decades; and when the Eastman Dental Infirmary was organized and they looked around for a man with an executive vision, competent to guide, with a knowledge of business and of professional requirements, they looked to that man of unique executive quality, of the sweetest spirit of affection and charity, Dr. Harvey J. Burkhart, of Batavia, New York. (Applause.)

DR. BURKHART. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: I take it that the very complimentary remarks which the President was pleased to make with reference to myself personally, may be taken very much as a clergyman would speak to a member of his flock, that “whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.” (Laughter.) I also am led to believe that another reason for it was because I am an old Clevelaud boy and because I was born over on the West Side. (Applause.) And I am perfectly frank to say to you that I should very much prefer to talk about the golden days of youth when we used to slip down back of Brainard’s pasture there and go in swimming and do all those things that boys do in a careless way, long before we knew anything about Research Institutes, or sterilization, or this late preparedness talk. And I would much prefer to talk those things over with some of the old Cleveland boys than to present the greetings of almost anybody, Mr. President.

I feel particularly honored, and it is a rare pleasure to speak on behalf of the dental profession of this country and to present the congratulations and the greetings of the dentists of America on an occasion like this. It is an occasion that many of us have looked forward to for many years, and we are to be congratulated that we have an Executive Board connected with this Research Institute that is so able and so competent to carry on the work which it seems to have cut out for itself a long time before the dental profession really knew that anything of that sort was to be done. We have guiding hands here, we have guiding hands on this commission, and the dental profession appreciates most profoundly the necessity for an institution of this kind.

I look forward to the time when this Institute will be of tremendous influence and assistance, not only to the institution with which I am connected at the present time, but which will not be completed for a year or more, but will be of tremendous assistance to the various dental organizations throughout the country and throughout the world. You are well officered. The Institute has the support and the encouragement of the profession as a whole, and I bespeak for the officers of this association the success that should come to it on account of the labors which they have already performed and the splendid future which is before it.

There is just one word that I want you to take with you, and there is just one sentiment that I wish to express, altho I do it with some misgivings in the presence of some of the members of college faculties throughout the country who are present. As you all know, the dental schools purpose giving a four-years’ course a year from next autumn, and in going to that four-years course I believe a step has been taken in the right direction. But in amplification of that step there should, in my humble opinion, be one safeguard, there should be another step taken in advance to safeguard that step, and that is, in extending your course you should also extend your preliminary requirements. (Applause.) And I say it without any apology to the dental profession or to dentists present, that one of the weak spots in the dental profession has been the lack of preliminary preparation. We have not been educationally grounded as we should have been, and if we are going to maintain a position in the front rank and deserve to be classed with professional men, we must see to it that the young men who are coming into the profession shall be more highly and more generously educated than those who have come into it in the past. And it is up to the dental educational authorities and to the authorities connected with institutions of learning throughout the country, to see to it that the ground-work is accomplished so that fundamentally we shall start right. And the dental profession can render no greater service to this Institute than to require that the colleges shall maintain those standards which will turn out professional men who will be able to appreciate and to assist the work of the Institute.

And with that thought, gentlemen, I want to close by presenting the congratulations of the dental profession, to tell you how glad I am that we have with us tonight the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota, Dr. Chas. Mayo, the distinguished surgeon from Cleveland, Dr. George Crile, and other men who have honored us with their presence. And I hope and I know that this Institute will carry on the work which has been outlined for it, that it will meet with the success that it deserves, and I am sure the profession throughout this country will give it all the support that it deserves and will provide funds sufficient to carry on the work as it should be carried on. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT PRICE. If Ohio can set the pace for presidents, she can set the pace for some other things, too. Ohio has furnished probably twenty per cent of the funds that have been available for carrying on this research work which has been supported by the dental profession of the entire country; and when we speak of the profession in Ohio, we naturally look those fountains of inspiration and generosity, the first of which to boil over was Cincinnati, the next was Cleveland, and no city has ever set a pace that exceeded that set by Cleveland. And we are now to have greetings from the President of the Cleveland Dental Society; and before he speaks I want to express to everyone present the profound appreciation of the trustees of the Research Institute of the National Dental Association for the generosity and co-operation of the Cleveland Dental Society, who have so magnanimously given up their regular meeting for this month–their meetings are monthly–and are meeting with us to help honor and help dedicate this institution. We appreciate this cooperation very highly, and Dr. Edward H. Shannon, the President of the Cleveland Dental Society, than which there is no dental society anywhere in the country that has more clean men, and men with so high a standard of morality and ethics, or so high a standard of dental efficiency, will now speak to us. I introduce to you the President of the best dental society in the world. (Applause.)

DR. SHANNON. Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: I had thought by this time that Dr. Price had got rid of all these superlative compliments that he could possibly get away with. If you will pardon me, I am going to read what I have to say, because, if I did not, I know I would not say what I intended to say:

It has been my unfortunate lot to be selected to represent the Cleveland Dental Society on this occasion. No doubt this honor was conferred on me because of my official capacity. This reminds me that President Wilson and I are in the same class–we are both presidents. We are alike, however, in another respect: President Wilson says some men are born troublesome, some have trouble thrust upon them, and other men acquire it. President Wilson confesses he belongs to the second class. So do I; trouble is thrust upon me.

This is only part of it. My greatest discomfort and sore embarrassment is like the honest Scotchman’s. As the story goes, his wife was dying, and when Sandy heard her last request, which was that he ride on the seat with his mother in-law on the day of the funeral, he reluctantly consented, but replied dolefully: “I’ll do it, now I’ve promised, but I want to say, you have spoiled the day for me.” (Laughter.)

This is a great occasion, we must admit; and I want to say, the day has been spoiled for me, but seeing I have promised, I will give you my word of greeting.

In speaking for the Cleveland Dental Society, I want to convey to you, in a few words, the pleasure we have in being participants with you in the opening exercises of the Research Institute of the National Dental Association. It is certainly a red-letter day when the dental profession of the country can put upon a substantial foundation so great a project as the Research Institute promises to be; and the dentists of Cleveland and especially the Cleveland Dental Society, consider it an honor to be guests on this occasion.

Gentlemen, I wonder if all of us, especially the dental and medical men here tonight, have stopped for a moment to consider seriously the importance of this occasion, the possibilities which the Research Institute promises for the future. To be sure, this is only the beginning, and naturally the progress will be slow. If the work the Institute has been able to do under favorable conditions, with whole-hearted but meager support, predicts what we may expect in the days to come, we should give the work our hearty approval and generous support. Indeed, because of what the Institute has already done. I am profoundly convinced that this is a most opportune time to launch a movement which is not only a benefit to mankind but an inspiration to the thinking dental and medical men of the world. The work of the Research Institute will be of invaluable assistance to progressive men everywhere, and of untold blessings and comfort to humanity.

We have with us this evening men who have labored long and arduously in this work. They have drawn upon their vital resources without reserve, and even after much untiring labor are just as energetic and enthusiastic as ever. But, gentlemen, the crowning glory of the success of the Institute cannot be obtained unless we of the dental profession cooperate with the Institute, and lend our aid to interest the laity in this research work which will mean so much to suffering mankind.

In offering our congratulations to the Research Institute of the National Dental Association this evening, it seems fitting that, on behalf of the Cleveland Dental Society, I should point to the fact that in meeting with the Institute in joint session on our regular meeting night, we are showing our interest and support of this movement. And, moreover, gentlemen, the dentists of Cleveland are interested in this work, as has been shown by their generous gifts. They are enthused because of the great possibilities of the work yet to be done. Its vision is so alluring, that, if carried to a successful termination, it cannot be otherwise than beneficial.

There is no question in my mind but that the Cleveland Dental Society would be willing and happy to cooperate with the Research Institute of the National Dental Association in the furtherance of the work, in any way in which it can be of service.

I am very happy to be able to express to the Research Institute of the National Dental Association, in these few words, what I believe to be the sentiment of the Cleveland Dental Society, and it is our hope and desire that the results secured by the Institute will be many times greater than the fondest dreams of the optimists. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT PRICE. I want to say that already we have had requests from three of the study clubs of the Cleveland Dental Society for the privilege of meeting here. They will have the use of our library, and they will probably use this room that is marked “Reading Room” for their meetings, and we anticipate that great benefit may come not only to the local dental profession, but to visitors of the profession from anywhere and everywhere that will come here to further their interests.

I would like to speak for a moment of our library. All the volumes you see on those shelves carry the title “Research Institute of the National Dental Association.” They are practically all free gifts and are a very complete library at this moment. And we will have duplicates of those down stairs, and any member of the dental profession from anywhere in the country may write in for any number of any magazine, and have it loaned to him for reference. So in that way we will serve not only the local profession, but the profession of the entire country.

When this work was started some three years ago, we had no home, facilities, and по equipment. We had an opportunity, and men in the profession, with a desire to serve humanity, so we looked about to see where we could get accommodations; and naturally we looked to our splendid institutions. And when we went to the president of the Case School of Applied Science, Dr. Charles Howe, and to several of its professors, like Professors Miller, Smith and Fulton, and others in that institution, and asked if we could have some co-operation, some privilege of work in connection with the institution, they extended that privilege to us, not only generously, but enthusiastically. They set aside a research room that has been ours to turn the key and, President Howe, you will never know the benefit this privilege has been to the dental profession, tor that enabled us to start lines of metallurgical research that we could not have started until months or years afterwards, had we not had that privilege. And on behalf of that splendid institution, and of the Western Reserve University, and other educational institutions, I shall ask Dr. Howe to give us a word of greeting at this time. President Charles S. Howe, of Case School of Applied Science. (Applause.)

DR. HOWE. Mr. President, and gentlemen of the dental profession: On behalf of the higher institutions of learning in Cleveland, it gives me very great pleasure to bring to you their congratulations and their greetings. You are not a university, but you are doing some of the work which a university has to do.

A university has at least three functions. The first function is to teach. It throws open its doors to young men, and sometimes to young women, and invites them to come in and receive what it has to give. It presents to them that which is known, gives them the knowledge which they ought to have in order to go out into life, and tries to train their minds so that they may do new things for themselves.

The next function of the university is research. There is a duty placed upon it by the community, or by the knowledge and information which its professors have to extend the bounds of human knowledge, and most of our universities are carrying on this particular work which seems to be theirs.

The university also has another function, and that is to give the results of this knowledge which it has obtained, to the world. It cannot take that which it has obtained thru research and keep it to itself, but it must put it where it will benefit humanity to the highest degree.

Now, in these two latter functions you are doing the work of the universities, and hence I claim there is a bond of union between you and us.

Some centuries ago there was a philosopher in Syracuse who was studying over a problem which had been presented to him. When he found the solution, he jumped out of his bath tub and ran thru the streets of his city said to have been very slightly clothed. Since that time and even before, there have been men who have turned toward research work in every country and in every age. The lure of the unknown has been on certain men to look into the future; to try to wrest the secrets of nature and bring them where they will be for the benefit of mankind or for the information of the world, has been the utmost pleasure and delight of certain individuals.

And it takes a man to do this kind of work. It is not play. It needs all the knowledge, all the skill, all the determination, all the imagination which a man can give to it, because one cannot do new work until he first knows what has been done. He must have a knowledge of what other men have done, and then he must have imagination enough to see what is possible, before he can take up a research problem. And after he has determined what that problem shall be, it needs all of his skill, all of his determination, all of his tenacity, to carry it thru to a successful conclusion. But the joy and happiness of this kind of work is beyond, I believe, any other joy of the world. It is a man’s work in every way.

You gentlemen who are going to work in this research laboratory, will search for truth. Some men look for truth in the earth, where for centuries the forces of nature have been at work. Others look for it in the insect, which seems to float so lightly upon the air, and yet which may carry around with it the germs of disease, and death. Some look for it in the illimitable distances of the universe, and search the stars to find out their chemical composition or the movements which they have made, utterly impossible to observe without the aid of the most powerful telescope. Others search for truth in the human body, the life processes of which are not yet all known to your profession or to the medical profession. But in all of these you are hunting for things new, you are working for the benefit of humanity; and because you are doing these things, the institutions of higher learning in Cleveland welcome you to their number and promise you their hearty, cordial sympathy and support. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT PRICE. I am sure we are all stronger because of that splendid message. It is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the men who have been assisting us in this splendid department. I have to repeat again that this Research Department can never repay Professors Miller, Smith and Fulton of that institution, for their splendid co-operation, and Professor Whitman, of Adelbert, and dear old Dr. Morley, who helped us some years ago in some of our most important. problems. We are profoundly indebted, Dr. Howe, to those splendid institutions for their cooperation and assistance.

In introducing the next speaker I can not refrain from telling you a little incident that happened in Paris. It was on the occasion of a splendid banquet, given within six months, where, back of the lines those splendid physicians and nurses were repairing shattered bodies. They ceased, one day, long enough to have a meeting around the festive board. And as they so met, one man proposed a toast, and he said, “Gentlemen, I have a toast to propose–To the greatest surgeon in America,” and they all stopped and listened and wondered who it was, “to Dr. George W. Crile, of Cleveland, America.” (Applause.) And as they drank with enthusiasm to that splendid sentiment, a great French surgeon rose to his feet, and said, “Gentlemen, I wish to propose a toast to the greatest surgeon in the world–Dr. George W. Crile, of Cleveland, America.” (Applause.) You cannot know the strength that this Research Department feels in leaning on the shoulder of that great leader in research, that great humanitarian spirit, that leader in philanthropic organization, Dr. George W. Crile, of Cleveland! (Applause.)

DR. CRILE. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: First of all, I wish to offer my sincere congratulations to the dental profession for their altruism in establishing this research foundation, and to express my belief that the investigations of the workers in this institute will produce much that will be of value to medical science as well as to dentistry.

I assume that in this connection I am expected to speak of the physical sciences. It would be indeed difficult to conceive the lot of man without the setting in which the physical sciences have staged him today.

The difference between civilized man and prehistoric man is mainly in his greater control over the forces of nature. Science has measured the movements of planets in a universe infinitely large; it has found the movement of particles within the atom infinitely small; it has analyzed light and heat, color and sound; it has tamed the lightning and harnessed the waterfall; it has perforated the earth to secure metals and fuel; with these man has fashioned innumerable implements by means of which he has gained control over vast forces, has mastered the primeval forests, broken the fertile prairie; built houses, made clothes and awakened ancestral emotions to the strains of music. Science has created railways and steamboats thru the telegraph, the telephone and the wireless, science has annihilated space and time. By means of science man has devised marvelous weapons for his self-destruction in war; has created for himself a Frankenstein. Science has printed books, created schools and universities, and promoted art. In recent times science has delivered deeply into the mysteries of the mechanism of man’s physical body in health and in disease. The science of medicine has purified the jungle, has made possible the building of the Panama Canal; medicine has created sanitary codes for the civilized world, has preserved armies in the field, has created hospitals, has conserved infancy, and given solace to old age. Science now is to illumine the work of earnest colleagues in the dental profession thru the mediation of this research foundation, and thus does science ever promote human progress. (Applause.)