The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-04
The Lecture Season.


present The chair occupied by the Rev. DR.. VAN
PrLr who opened the proceedings with prayer.
Mr.. r. CAMPBELL STEWART then introduced to the
meeting and said-I beg to make few remarks In
gard to the designs Of institution which has been
msrepresented fer the purpose Of exciting prejudice
sganst us, by irregular practioners whose object
doubleday to create sympathy for themselves and
make motives appear selash The present appears
to be proper occasion to dabuse the public mind and
that there nothing exclusive in our or
gaDization but that the association open to ali pro-
perry qualified practitioners Up to lS44 legal enact.
mtnts enforced in this State in regard
and the power OF licensing vas Conferred upon the Medi
Cal Society and upon the chartered medical colleges;
but at that PERIOD the Legislature thought
properly improperly 1t ID not for say-to abolish
all legal restrictions and virtually declared any per-
son might engage in the capacity OF medical oner
vho ara sn,itld to no rconn,yeS a. % ,hsa ~ u.s.
organization az the only means OF excluding those
VINO were disqualified and at the same tim. to throw
impeachment IN the Of the deserving 1t necessary
that such society should be organized for the public
good and there nothing capdetine in proceed
iDgs for the call for the preliminary meeting published
Guy papers, signed by the President Of the City
Medical Society," and by the heads Of the Medical Collie
III the city and anty OF New York You all remember
the made to this call Tue necessity of the
demanded prompt action; old anmotiss were forgotten
ana the ular medical practiHH6rs having assembled
to the conclusion that was expedie mt and
sary TO organize some association The lecturer here
referred ~ the Constitution of the society stated
elusive in Its provisions but that every medical prac
titioner who was properly qualified could join the
naw nroose to nrsxs so yau Hn,oa
whether the physicians, body, continue to be en-
titled TO public confidence and regard and whether such
public confdt and regard still manifested
them. The claims Of the medical profession TO the
estimation Of the community SO numerous and
varied that is impossible for at this tme Illus
trate but few Of them and shall therefore render
my remarks concise the elucidaon of the subject
will admit Of avoiding tcchncallties which cauno be in
nf h, audu
One Of the most striking proofs That The regular medical
profession entitled to confidence will DO found its
Advance neht In the discovery OF results which
nfcisl to the public; for since the commencement in
the second OF medicine there have been
piovensnts in medical science; and th remark is appli-
cable alone It, but department connected
with the healing art For example in general and com
para,ye anatomy kno Wedge ex
TO leave us but very little short or ia the science
and the science Of mate medica the
have been entered great The dis
cnveres in chemistry also be considered remark
able evidence OF .prcgresf for knowl. dge posons
and their aDtidotes, and also the of detecting
them. has been much EXTENDED by Its agency We are
also much to the OF galvansn and electro
magnetism Ooe Of the greatest blessings given to hui
msnity has been the Of insanity The
substitution OF mild and humane instead Of brutal
and hsrh in this disease has reduced this awful affection
and the horrors that accompany 1t and has produced
NJ hcal results supposed heretofore be 1t
is not in vain ,hac splendid palaces have been reared
Europe and this country for the modern treatment OF
insanity TO supply the place of the DARK dens and
geons OF former times ought they
trayagant or unnecessary when they show such
striking manifestation in the improvement of the meai
cal profession Is In the treatment of small pox
This disease which was the scourse of race and
which bas depopulaed whole communities through
vaccination aLd the improvements in the method Of
trea mept been almost deprived OF its The In.
roouct on 81 vaccination is subject of su:h general
interest. and its effects well known AMI aoprs
cated that it is useless TO veil further upon it now ex
cept 10 bear in mind the from whence this i'm
pavement obtained Prior to 1898 the m ortalty
from small pox generally not less than fifty Der cent
At which period mos. erroneous system of treatment
fhp nnndttln ~
at the present day Surrounded b, every comfort aud
suitable luxury both in private and public institutions
the unfor victims OF this disease kindly ended
and subjected to such course OF medical as
produces result in the mortality scarcely greaer than
any mild desease The per centage of deaths from small
pox this ime is reduced in public hospitals where of
course it must be larger than in private an average
not LEES than hiteen per cent Such Is shown to be
the case in the experience Of the last ten The yellow
fever so is considered by Southern colleagues
as capable of being subdued with when taken in
time apd proper means adopted Many other Diseases
such cholera typhus fever, cholera infantum aud
others now be entirely cured or else greatly aevi-
aed by advance in the stage medicinal kno Wedge
The progress OF surgery bias been equ.y great and aas
earned The everlasting era itude Of mankind pa
among which may mention the mechanical process for
the ueament II deiormiies club feet, spinal
lures and umeTous NAL which have enlreme
died With comparative by the enterprstDg surgeon
and the improvement in Instruments tho ne v me-
thods Of operating tends to cprove the assertion that
surgery l. only amcchsrica art AID enough has
to illustrate The fact That surgery not ward but is
progressing rapidly towards psrf-ction. The prolonga
ton Of human existence another Of the benefits which
the conferred society which
may turn 10 statistics and other proofs We have the
testimony OF several learned meu both ct home aud
abroad, and particularly that of divine in Ge-
neva. Switzerland which shows most copclu-
tively that the duration Of human life has been
most materially prolonged during the last fifty years
he attributes the suit to the i'm pro yemens ana
dscoy cries In medical science Here the lecturer intro
ouced table exhibiting the ratio OF each year
from 1916 Europe showing decrease in the NOR.
tshty and went to say Lbat he regretted that he
could not obtain such information from the hospitals
81 this country az would enable him TO produce
.tIor tnT Ma L.,t
evidence had been obtained justify the assertion
that there had been considerable average reduction
Another fact connected With assurance com aues
Wh,n those useful profitable institutions we're first
established the then average duration Of human life
such az to require heavy centage in tue shape OF
premium apo Initiation Tee to render them profitable.
The rst insurance company organized l776 and
in order 10 procure the Of Coo the Death Of
party II 9ss necessary contribute 81 for init alton fee
and $50 while individual at the age Of
twenty five years may to his family at his death
81 600 by cont ibutpg yearly SIS So Think therefore,
that the eon Is entitled TO the conadence
CT the public not only from the which have
been made in the profession but from charitable
spirit which has been evnced by them many occs-
fons. striking instance Of this happened short tins
since where donation made by Of our class Of
$40 COO to aid in the establishment of pital this
city the directors and orignators OF the nsi,u ion
scarcely contributing ne many hundreds The medical
profession have never been kno.n to betay the
coDfoed TO ihtm and am confident there Is mao in
this sstociaop who would not prefer encoun er
priscI msrt to which Of colleagues France
been 'cted for refusing to disclose information OBJ
famed In professional capacity than to disclose secrets
entrusted 10 his charge and you will be justified by the
heightened public opinion which secured his vudi-
cation and release BY thu hight tribunal known in his
country The morality Of the profession and the
vance Of is members q the law established facts not
20 BE- boosted OF but IL may perhaps be allowable TO
sude a. claim upon public confidence to the criminal
calendar from which appears that curing period Of
eighteen years only two physicians have been found i'm,
pcated crime while by the same record It appears
that In the tame community, four priests and law.
ysr were annually found guilty OF grave offences.
Let consider the second pont-wbether public conf
and regard still manifested towards One OF
The strongest proofs that they arises from the fact
that the members Of the profession are Invariably
lcced occupy places of trust and responsibility and
,h exclus ion OF the irregular practitioner
for The public though they may occasionally employ
oharla aos individually. the same PERSONS sstiag In
cofroats capacity always choose the regular pcacttion
end 70 iustrnte this fact eau say that In France
among q population Of 20 00J. IL is estimated
that 0 coo medical practitioners are employed in
hospitals. slmshou,ee and other charitable insttu
tioDf. and there IL not among then whe does
not belong 10 The regular orthodox school OF med-
cine The poorer classes the most exscting in