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HOWARD UN IVERSITY.
43
September 29, the Executive Com-
mitee voted to buy the strip of laud 190
feet iu length on Pomeroy street, running
south to the “ Park Hotel” land, and oc
cupied by the west wards of the Hospital.
The
seventeenth
session opened Octo
ber 6, 1884, with an introductory address
on Chemistry, by Dr. Seaman.
The
Board of Visitors to the Hospital report
ed, November 20, to the Secretary of
the Interior, that the Hospital had been
visited many times and was found in good
condition in every detail. The cleanli
ness, ventilation, clothing and food were
commended. It was believed that the
results of treatment would compare favor
ably with like institutions elsewhere in
the country. The management was care
ful and painstaking. Particular attention
was invited to some means for protection
from fire. The report was signed by Mr.
Bell as President and Rev. Dr. Grimke
as Secretary of the Board.
Commencement March 9, 1885, at First
Congregational Church. Charge to the
class by Dr. D. S. Lamb.
President
Patton conferred the degrees. Dr. J. S.
Carman was class valedictorian. The in
vitations showed a skull and sickle, books
and lamp, owl, etc. ; with “ no flowers.”
April 14, Dr. Shadd was appointed
Lecturer on Clinical Medicine.
THE DENTAL COLLEGE.
The beginning of the Dental College
may be set down as October 11, 1881,
when the Medical Faculty appointed Dr.
James B. Hodgkin, of the present Faculty,
Lecturer on Practical Dentistry to the
Medical class. The Doctor, as indeed all
the Faculty, recognized that the gradu
ates who should practice medicine in
sparsely-settled places would need to
know something of dentistry.
Eight
months afterward, namely, June 5, 1882,
through the efforts of Dr. O. F. Presbrey,
of the Executive Committee, and Dr.
Purvis, the Secretary of the Faculty,
Dr. N. W. Whitcomb, of Buffalo, N. Y.,
was appointed ProfessoV of Operative
Dentistry, and the following mention was
made in the announcement for the next
session : “ Instruction in Operative Dent
istry will be given to those desiring it
under the supervision of N. W. Whit
comb, D. D. S., and others, for which a
small fee will be charged.” During this
session, 1882-3,
gave instruction to
six students. In a recent letter he writes
thus of the early history of the Dental
College :
“ I am sorry to say that I cannot give
you a very flattering and glowing account
of its beginning, as the work was all new
to me, and there was so little to do with.
However, I did endeavor to do the best I
could. I gathered together by contribu
tions, through the generosity of the S. S.
White and the Justin Dental Manufactur
ing Companies, and the help of the Uni
versity itself, sufficient for a nucleus for a
dental beginning. I have no doubt the
good Dr. Patton was as generous with me
as the condition of the University would
permit. I hope the Dental Department
has improved, enlarged and prospered.”
The announcement of 1883-4 an
nounced a systematic course in Dentistry,
with Dr. Whitcomb as Professor of Den
tal Surgery, and Dr. M. G. Jenison as
Demonstrator in Dentistry. There were
five students during this session, at the
end of which one of them graduated. Dr.
Jenison resigned soon afterwards, and in
the following June Dr. Starr Parsons was
appointed Professor of Dental Surgery
and Operative Dentistry. Dr. Whitcomb
was made Professor of Dental Mechanism
and Metallurgy. There were two Dental
students during the session, 1884-5, one
of whom graduated. Dr. Whitcomb re
signed October 10, 1885, and Dr. Win.
Leitch, one of the three graduates of the
session of 1885-6, was made Demon
strator of Operative and Prosthetic Den
tistry.
Drs. Edwin L. Fawcett and
Randall Parsons were appointed Clinical
Instructors in Dentistry, and soon after
wards Dr. Henry L. Yeatman was elected
Demonstrator in Dentistry.
In a recent communication, Dr. Starr
Parsons writes: u The Dental College,
with a regular corps of Professors, may be