"The first chapter in the history of dental war surgery in China" was the subject of the weekly talk given before the Shanghai Rotary Club at luncheon yesterday. The speaker was Dr. B. K. Wong, who said that as a result of their experiences, the Chinese Army Medical Service would be able to incorporate in its future organization "an efficient and well-prepared Army Dental Corps, second to none in the world and adequately prepared to cope with the health and welfare of the flower of China's manhood, both in times of war and peace."
The increasing use of high explosives in barrages, bombing raids and so on in modern warfare resulted in a corresponding increase in head injuries. Lack of immediate care, as during rush periods, often resulted in serious consequences through the spread of infection into the skull—generally with fatal results.
Adequate treatment required not only the professional skill of the physician and surgeon but, perhaps above all the ce-operation of the dental surgeon, whose main function was to rebuild the necessary foundation for an efficiently functioning jew. They had fortunately been able to organize a dental unit which carried out work in several wounded soldiers' hospitals and for six months treated about 300 cases.
"Most of the lighter cases were discharged as soon as possible," Dr. Wong continued, "and we were soon left with those requiring dental restorations of an elaborate nature. Here, the Seventeenth Hospital came to our rescue and gave us generous grants for this work and necessary supplies, and many cases seemingly hopeless on admission were thus enabled to recover the use of their jaws and teeth, which though artificial and cumbersome at first in time began to function with great efficiency."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.