Scope and Contents

Papers of two dentists: Ziesel, who developed a technique and instruments for treating pyorrhea, and Darby, a founder of the University of Pennsylvania Dental School.

Included are articles, speeches, lectures, correspondence, unidentified photographs; an autograph book of attendees at testimonial dinner for Darby, dinner menus and programs; copies of journal entitled The Dental Cosmos, with articles by Ziesel; notebook of an unidentified dentist with names of patients, including Mr. and Mrs. Henry Adams; notebook presumably belonging to Lt. Cmdr. G. R. Bevan.The papers are largely mementoes of several occasions on which Dr. Darby was honored. They also include a record of the practice of an unnamed dentist that began in May 1885. The collection contains speeches and articles in which Ziesel describes his surgical techniques and instruments used in pyorrhea treatment. The series begins in 1919 when he asked the National Dental Association to allow him to speak at its annual convention, but his proposal was late and he was refused. It encompasses his disagreements with entrenched traditionalists, correspondence with many dentists interested in copying technique, work with patients referred for surgery, and his attempts to have this surgery made part of dental school curriculum.

Arrangement

Divided into 2 series

Series 1: Dr. William Ziesel

Series 2: Dr. Edwin Tyler Darby

Biographical / Historical

Dr. William Ziesel, who developed a surgical technique to eliminate pyorrhea, practiced dentistry in Philadelphia. This collection contains Dr. Ziesel's speeches and articles. In these he describes his surgical techniques and the instruments he used in pyorrhea treatment. The collection begins in 1919 when Dr. Ziesel asked the National Dental Association to allow him to be on the program of its annual convention although he was late in so requesting and he was refused. It encompasses his disagreements with the entrenched traditionalists, his correspondence with many dentists interested in copying his technique, his work with patients referred to him for this surgery, and his attempts to have this surgery made part of dental school curriculum.

Dr. Edwin Tyler Darby was one of the founders of the dental school at the University of Pennsylvania where he was a professor of operative dentistry from 1878 to 1926. He was Emeritus Professor for five years. An attempt was made to set up a Chair of Operative Dentistry in his name. Dr. Ziesel referred to Dr. Darby as a supporter of his methods to eliminate pyorrhea. The papers are largely mementos of several occasions on which Dr. Darby was honored. They also include a record of the practice of an unnamed dentist that began in May 1885. Scope and Content

Related Materials

Collection contains 2871 specimens of dental instruments, furniture, equipment and other materials relating to the history of dentistry. See Accession # 218383.