Sweet Teeth

Damien Ihrig, MA, MLIS
Curator, John Martin Rare Book Room

When most folks think of February and Valentine's Day, thoughts of candy, loved ones, candy, cutesy cards, candy, and heart-shaped everything dance in their heads. I tend to focus on the candy. And cookies. And pie. My grandmother always made me a rhubarb pie this time of year. The pie was made with rhubarb from her garden, lard for the crust, and appropriate for this time of year, lots of love. It was a masterwork of amateur Iowa country baking and remains to this day the best thing I have ever eaten. To answer your questions, my grandmother froze everything, including the lard and her summer rhubarb. And yes, rhubarb pie IS the best pie. This is beyond debate.

So, it is with this in mind that I highlight a dentistry book this month. Two, if you count the image of the toothy grin in this section. Enjoy your favorite Valentine's Day treats, whatever they may be. Just remember to brush and floss.

Stay well and happy reading!

February 22 at 7:00 PM (central) - The John Martin Rare Book Room Presents
Elizabeth Riordan, MA and Correctional Measures: Exploring the medical and forensic world of Fort Madison Iowa Penitentiary
Before CSI and forensic identification, we had Bertillon cards, a criminal identification system that used body measurements to identify repeat offenders. The cards were a form of Anthropometry. A field that includes both the scientific (e.g. Paleoanthropology) and pseudoscientific (e.g., Phrenology) study of the human form and had been around the criminal justice world long before Bertillon. Riordan will highlight a collection of Bertillon cards from the Fort Madison Penitentiary on loan from the State Historical Society of Iowa, as well as other sources from Special Collections and the John Martin Rare Book Room.

Elizabeth Riordan is the Outreach & Engagement Librarian for Special Collections at the University of Iowa Libraries. Her background in theater arts and anthropology has allowed Riordan to explore different ways special collection materials can be utilized in classrooms, as well as public events.
Please join us for an exciting evening of Anthropometry, Phrenology, and crime! Zoom link to the presentation.

March 10 at 7:00 PM (central) – Iowa Bibliophiles
Paul Morf and Cartography as visual history: One Iowan’s adventure in map collecting
Paul Morf, a local map collector and amateur historian, will take us in a time machine exploring Iowa’s history through some of his maps. He will also talk about the explosion of cartography following the advent of the printing press and Columbus’s and Magellan’s voyages.

Morf share a few of his favorite woodcut and copper plate maps of North America and the Western Hemisphere from the 1500s by cartographers such as Waldseemuller, Fries, Munster, Apian, Honter, Gastaldi, Ruscelli, Mercator, and Ortelius.

Book of the Month

THOMAS BERDMORE (1740-1785) A treatise on the disorders and deformities of the teeth and gums : explaining the most rational methods of treating their diseases : illustrated with cases and experiments. Printed for the author, 1770. A new edition with additions (second edition). 279 pages. 18 cm tall.

This month's selection is a second edition of the second English book on dentistry by the noted 18th-century dentist, Thomas Berdmore. Berdmore was born around 1740 and died in 1785. Following in the footsteps of "the father of modern dentistry," Pierre Fauchard, Berdmore first apprenticed with a surgeon before beginning his practice. With other dentists of the 18th century, he helped develop the profession into its own distinct field. Eventually, he became famous as the King's Dentist to King George III.

Berdmore's treatise is the first known text to recognize the effects of sugar on teeth. The text passage shown here also highlights the dietary differences between the wealthy and the poor. With the poor reportedly better off, teeth-wise, because they did not have easy access to sugar, an expensive flavoring. Although the text block is from 1770, it was rebound at some point with a modern brown leather cover. The text block is in great condition. The original endpapers were preserved, but there is a bit of discoloration and brittleness, most likely due to the glue used in the previous binding. There is also a minor paper repair and some of the printing has faded slightly, but otherwise, the book is in great shape!

If you are interested in seeing this or other items mentioned in our newsletters, please contact Damien Ihrig at damien-ihrig@uiowa.edu to arrange a visit in person or over Zoom.