Dentistry - professional requirements in 1897

[Erato]

A couple of years ago, I posted about the complicated life of James A. Logan, a first cousin twice removed. Helpful RootsChatters put together a lot of the puzzle pieces.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=861015.msg7301545#msg7301545

I have just found another major piece of the puzzle, but it raises even more questions.
This is definitely the right James A. Logan - all of the details match my man including the name of the mother-in-law, Mrs. B.F. Thomas.  But how did James become a dentist?  I know that he graduated from a two-year business college in 1892 but I can find no evidence that he attended dental school.  Amazingly, the list of graduates of the University of California College of Dentistry (located in San Francisco) from 1882 to 1894 is available online as well as the list of dentistry students enrolled in 1894.  James A. Logan was not among them.  Could he legally practice as a dentist without a dentistry degree in 1897?

When James enlisted in the army under a false name in 1898, he joined the 8th Cavalry, Hospital Corps, so he may have been putting his dentistry skills to use there.  Interestingly though, on later censuses, he was never recorded as a dentist.

Any thoughts or additional information will be very welcome.

[mckha489]

I can’t be positive about the USA or anything really but in various other countries dentistry was not fully regulated until say 1900 +/- .
There were Dental acts introduced circa 1880 but people already practicing as dentists were grandfathered in. Although I believe later they were restricted in what they could do.
And there was still a lot of training “on the job”  simply because there were not many dental schools.
Remember dentistry then was pretty much extractions and dentures.  Restorative dentistry was in its early days.

[Lisa in California]

Hi Erato.  You may have found the following, but mentioning it anyway…

According to a few internet sites, in 1885, a law was passed in California that stated (practicing) dentists must register with the Dental Board of California. 

Have you researched Dr. Sanford (mentioned in the newspaper article)?  I wonder if Mr. Logan joined Dr. Sanford’s existing practice (possibly using some of his wife’s money) and just stated that he was a dentist?  Or, possibly he started as a technician and became proficient enough to state that he was a dentist? If Dr. Sanford had a license and registered with the Board, perhaps Mr. Logan didn’t need to register?   

[Lisa in California]

I may have missed it, but I didn’t see Logan or Sanford listed under dentists (in Berkeley) in the 1897 directory for Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley.
https://archive.org/details/hustedsoaklandal1897hust/page/705/mode/1up

I haven’t yet checked other years.
Added: not in the 1896 directory.

[Lisa in California]

Possibly Dr. L. N. Sanford?

1900 Petaluma, CA census (Petaluma is north of Berkeley)
Louis N Sandford, Partner, Single, born December 1853, Dentist
  Living with Frank Phillips and his family.  Frank was a dentist.

L N Sandford registered with the California State Board of Examiners July 1, 1885 (Anc*try)
He had been practicing for seven years, all in California.

[Lisa in California]

California Voter Register
Louis Napolean Sanford, age 28 or 23, born California, Druggist, Residence: Hollister
May 5, 1877

Added:
California Voter Register
Louis Napolean Sandford, age 28, born California, Dentist
August 17, 1882

[Ashtone]

Erato - Have you heard of the 1924 film "Greed" (based on the 1899 novel "McTeague")? It's about dentists in the San Francisco area. One of the characters is a travelling dentist, who takes on McTeague (a gold miner) as an apprentice. Later, McTeague is reported for practicing dentistry without a license. Anyway, your thread reminded me of this film. 

[Lisa in California]

In case you want additional information about the other dentist, his parents MAY have been

Benjamin Sanford, possibly born 25 April 1832, Hants County, Nova Scotia and Euphemia Wallis.
Marriage Date and Place - 11 Oct 1854, Boston, Massachusetts

He may have had (among other siblings) a brother named Nathan.

[Erato]

"I will stand by my husband to the end ..."

Well, she didn't; she divorced him in 1899 on the grounds of desertion.  The later course of his life was not entirely smooth.  In fact, it was rocky.  He did not continue his career in dentistry.  Maybe by the time he returned to California after his military interlude in Cuba it was no longer possible to pass oneself off as a dentist without any formal training.

I think you must be right, Lisa.  He hooked up with Sanford who was a registered dentist.  Probably they met in Hollister.  James must have been sort of an apprentice dentist in the days before the laws regulating dentistry were tightened up.  It looks like Sanford was not a university-trained dentist, either.  It's amazing that James could get away with calling himself "Dr." Logan or maybe that was just a title given to him by the newspaper.


Ashtone-  Is it a case of life imitating art or vice versa?  I've heard of the novel, but never read it.  Nor have I seen the film but I'm going to look for it online