It would be natural for you to expect in this, the first introductory paper, a history of the origin and objects of the Society, but these were so ably treated of by the worthy Secretary of the Society on his visit to Manchester, and so many of you were present at the London meetings, and so much has been already written on the subject, that it would not only be superfluous but also presumptuous for me to attempt what has already been done by others so much more competent than myself, and I am therefore deprived of what would have been an interesting topic for an address; but although the past and the present have thus been taken from me, there still remains the future; and as I hope that in that future our Midland branch will ultimately form a not unimportant unit, I will therefore restrict what I have to say mainly to the subject of the branch itself, and in doing so must crave your kind indulgence for the many imperfections in my efforts, urging as my excuse the little time that numerous professional and other engagements leave at my disposal. Here, I think, we may congratulate ourselves, that we exist as a branch of the British Dental Association and not as an independent Society, for I am sure we all feel that the scheme for the elevation of our profession to its proper position, which that Society has been formed to promote, has been most judiciously planned, and has thus far been most efficiently carried out—a scheme, which whilst it in no way discourages the attainment of the higher qualification of full membership of the Royal College of Surgeons, in those who are anxious to distinguish themselves, and possess the means and opportunity for so doing, provides an efficient education in all those scientific and practical subjects which it is necessary for a Dentist to know, and by means of the Dental Diploma, affords the public a guarantee that the possessor of that diploma has passed through a curriculum of such a standard as fully to qualify him for the practice of the branch of surgery which he professes. Nor must we allow to pass unnoticed the utter unselfishness of its promoters, who laboured out of pure love for their profession, knowing that they could never expect to see the good result of their labours in their lifetime, unlike the man who is said to have remarked that he never could see the good posterity had done for him that he need trouble himself about posterity: and as was the case with many of those grand memorials of the loving zeal and devotion of our ancestors, those noble cathedrals with which so many parts of our country are adorned, one generation was satisfied if they were able to lay the foundations and were permitted to see some portion of the superstructure erected during their lifetime, so in like manner, we must wait and not be discouraged if we are unable to see the full development of the present movement, but should consider it a privilege to be permitted to assist