| What Does the Fox Say? | Damien Ihrig, MA, MLIS
Curator, John Martin Rare Book Room
 Welcome to spring, everyone! As we count down to longer days, more sun, flowers in bloom, and a twitterpated animal kingdom, I naturally want to talk about...teeth. Ok, so I really just needed an excuse to make the terrible "what does the fox say" joke. But now that we are here let's sink our teeth into Joseph Fox's (1775-1816) The natural history of the human teeth (first edition - 1803).
Joseph Fox was a trailblazer in dentistry who made significant contributions to the field during the early 19th century. Born in London in 1775, Fox received his medical training at Guy's Hospital. A student of John Hunter and Henry Cline, Joseph Fox was eventually appointed the first lecturer on dentistry at Guy's Hospital. He was the first dental surgeon appointed to a hospital position and one of the first medical practitioners to devote themselves completely to the care of teeth.
For those with dental anxiety, you can thank Dr. Fox for stressing the need for regular dentist visits. He argued this was especially important for children as they grew and "shed" their first set of teeth.
Fox cared deeply for his profession and wrote and lectured on the importance of improving the quality and standards of dentistry. He stressed that dentistry must have a scientific foundation as it was a medical field.
Beyond teeth, Fox was a passionate proponent of Edward Jenner and vaccination, even offering up his house as a vaccination location, and helped to found the Jenner Society. (For more on Edward Jenner, check out this blast from the newsletter past - pandemic hairdo and all.) He was also involved in educational and abolitionist causes.
See more below and take a bite out of this important work in dentistry from an early 19th-century master.
Stay well and happy reading!
Hours
The Room is available Monday-Thursday, 8:30-5:00 (U.S. Central) and Friday by appointment. Face masks are welcome and KN95 masks are available for free to all visitors. To guarantee the Room is available, please contact me at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154. | | 
All times are Central
 March 8 at 7:00 pm – Iowa Bibliophiles/John Martin Rare Book Room Presents
Waste Not, Want Not: Exploring the Binder's Waste of the John Martin Rare Book Room
In person at the UI Main Library Special Collections - 125 W. Washington St.
Damien Ihrig, MA, MILS
Curator, John Martin Rare Book Room
Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa Libraries
Bookbinders during the hand press era were ahead of their time with their recycling practices. Nothing went to waste if it could be avoided. This included using damaged, discarded, unsold, substandard, or test leaves from manuscripts and printed books as part of the binding for other books. Some waste is easy to find, such as beautiful manuscript leaves used as a book cover, but much of it is buried inside the binding. Join Damien Ihrig for his presentation on an ongoing project to conduct a "thousand tiny archeological digs" to locate, identify, and describe binder's waste in the John Martin Rare Book Room collection at the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences.
This event is free and open to the public. It will be held on the 3rd floor of the Main Library, doors opening at 6:30 PM. For all questions, please contact Elizabeth Riordan at elizabeth-riordan@uiowa.edu.
 March 24 from 4:30 - 6:00 pm – Iowa Women's Archives, Women's History Month Lecture
"The Purpose of the Pelvic: A Historical Analysis"
In person at the Iowa City Public Library
Wendy Kline, PhD
Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine
Purdue University
This talk explores how the pelvic exam is more than just a medical procedure; it is a window into a deeper, more meaningful set of questions about gender, medicine, and power. By looking through that window, we can begin to understand why the pelvic exam remains both mysterious and contentious. Wendy Kline, Ph.D., Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine at Purdue University, is internationally recognized for her scholarship in the history of medicine, history of women’s health, and the history of childbirth.
This event is free and open to the public. For all questions, please contact Anna Holland at 319-335-5068 or anna-holland@uiowa.edu.
| | | | FOX, JOSEPH (1775-1816). The natural history of the human teeth. Printed in London for J. Cox, 1803. 100 pages. 13 illustrations. 30 cm tall.
From 1799 until his death, Fox lectured on dentistry at Guy's Hospital in London. Based on his lectures, he first published The natural history of the human teeth in 1803 and the companion volume, The history and treatment of the diseases of the teeth, in 1806.
He would eventually combine the two into a single-bound, two-volume second edition, The natural history and diseases of the human teeth (1814).
Improving and expanding the work of foundational dental scholars, such as Pierre Fouchard, these were the first works in English to provide instructions for the correction of certain dental irregularities. They also have several detailed and sometimes striking illustrations, including the first to show operative procedures and dental pathologies.
There were many editions, including in other languages, and though much of his theory of oral physiology and pathology was of dubious value, his operative procedures remained | | | in vogue for more than fifty years.
Along with the clinical and surgical aspects of the book, Fox also provides his thoughts on the biggest issues in the profession, giving the reader a fuller context of the profession at the time.
The book is bound in blue painted paper over thin paper boards and rebacked with a thick cloth spine. The book is not only striking for its illustrations but also for the text pages. As can be seen from the image above, the book was printed with slightly larger type and very large margins. Anyone with eyesight as poor as mine is grateful for that.
Other than some foxing throughout and wear along the uneven edges, the paper is in great shape. And it opens easily, allowing one to effortlessly leaf through the book while contemplating making their next dental appointment.
Contact me to take a look at this book or any others from this or past newsletters: damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu or 319-335-9154 to arrange a visit in person or over Zoom. | | | |
