John N. Crouse--crusader and mitigator

During the last part of the nineteenth century, John N. Crouse fought hard to defeat the process patents of the International Tooth Crown Company. Prior to that time he engaged in a lucrative dental practice, was a President of the American Dental Association and was a highly respected dentist in Chicago. In the midst of his fight against the International Tooth Crown Company, Crouse organized a dental supply business and a dental journal. After the defeat of the Tooth Crown Company's patents, in an interesting turn of events, Crouse appeared to form an alliance with a party who formed another threat to the dental profession by foisting his patents on it. This article traces the life of a noteworthy man who could rightly be placed among the most important figures in American dentistry.