THE DENTAL JOURNAL. Published bi-monthly throughout the college year, the first number appearing in January. The subscription price is fifty cents per year, or three years for $1.00. All communications should be addressed to The DENTAL JOURNAL, Ann Arbor, Mich. Entered at the Postoffice at Ann Arbor as second class matter. THE DENTAL JOURNAL Published Under the Auspices of the Dental Society of the University of Michigan, When first asked by your editor to write a short article for your Dental publication, I looked upon the proposition with some degree of diffidence, as I felt that I had nothing to say which I considered worthy of your Journal. On being assured, however, "that anything would do," I thought I might not go amiss in giving expression to some thoughts, which I have now and again entertained, concerning the opportunities for doing scientific work with which the dental students of this University are surrounded. I am prompted to do this, not because I feel they are not familiar with these opportunities, but because I desire to stimulate an appreciation of them. That these opportunities exist, I believe no one can deny. And this is in a large measure due to the fact that the professional departments of this University have always been very closely affiliated, so that all work which can be carried on conjointly, is centralized. Largely for this reason has the instruction given in the scientific branches been so uniform in its improvement in the departments concerned. The fact that all laboratory work of like nature, is carried on in one laboratory, has developed these laboratories to an extent which would not be possible, were each department in charge of its own laboratories. This centralization of laboratory teaching, gives the dental students of this University, access to laboratories far better equipped, than is the case in the great majority of dental schools in this country. This, I believe, is an opportunity which should be brought to your notice; for it does not need lengthy argument to show that in order to do work in any of the scientific branches, proper facilities for doing this work must be at hand. It is my purpose in the few remarks which I desire to make, to dwell more particularly on the opportunities for doing special work in the laboratories. I would deem it presumptuous to extend their scope, as my knowledge of other special work which dental students might pursue is too limited to warrant my touching upon it. The department of medicine and surgery of this University early realized the importance of laboratory instruction; and its curriculum embraces as much, if not more, laboratory work than that of any other school in America. The dental department has profited by this example and at the present time the dental curriculum embraces a proportionately large amount of this work. I mention this fact to show that our dental students receive in their regular course a training which fits them for special work. And I may say here parenthetically, that the training received in the laboratories is a very important part of the educational benefits derived by the students in our professional schools. The ideal course in Medicine and Dentistry has not as yet been developed. I venture to suggest, however, that changes in the future will be in the direction of additional laboratory instruction, rather than a curtailing of that required at the present time. It may perhaps be well to spend a few moments in considering why a dental student should be required to pursue lecture and laboratory work in the scientific branches. Why for instance should a dental student listen to lectures on histology, four hours a week for one semester, and spend four hours every day, for six weeks, in studying and sketching some 150 microscopic slides? Students now and again ask this question, perhaps more often suggest it by the attitude which they assume toward this work in the laboratory. Or again, I have been asked why is it not enough for us to study the teeth and the structure of the mouth? To answer the last named question first, it may be said: You cannot understand the structures of the mouth without a fair knowledge of the elementary tissues and their |