The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-19
son, N. D., Vice Presidents; H. D. Bailey,


from DR.. VIM Mercer, Of New Orleans. 500 was
announced amidst loud applause.
The PRESIDENT then gave the first toast, as FOL.
LIST Our Society In view Of its future benefits, and
its exte usefulness may We excaim with the poet
No tell the dangers OF each hour
Nor be prepared to meet them"
DR. DELAFrELD responded briefly. He said that in
sh ort time from nothing they had beco ne four hun
bred members. Amidst many topics there was oae
point be wished to advert to. He fouad that among
those whose widows and orphans would be most de-
pendent to morrow, If they died, there was feeling
Of pride that they did not wish that their families
should be objects of charity, This was an errone-
view of the case Is was not charity, but
mut,al support. None Of them knew how soon
they might have widows and orphans In the ex.
perience Of this great city and the reverses Of for
tune and Of fate, death might find his widow and
his orphan in the family Of any one Of them before
tomorrow.
The folio wing toast was then given: +
I'd The liberal professions. They meet tn. three
prime necessities OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS secured BY
hgion, liberty by law and health by science.
Rev. DIR. NERMILYE responded:-He ssid he had
received the invitation SO late that il wasimpos,ibe
for him to prepare If it was a sermon it would be
different matter. He had always, from youth,
been soemnly admonished to keep out of tho hands
of the doctors; but he thought, from this evenings
experience II was very pleasant thing 20 get Into
the hands of the medical profession daughter
The good things Of this life abouuded not in homeo-
pathc doses, but to the fullest extent Of digestion.
The Rev gentleman then proceeded TO compare the
clerical and medical professions He said the tack
of the doctor to minister to the disease OF the
body: the work of tho minister was to heal the
maadies of the soul 1t was happy thing for both
professions TO meet at the bsd of sickness the
preparing the way for the other. He was glad to
fno that the member of the society who had lately
died. was man OF highly religious feelings 1t
had been said that the medical profession tended to
materiasm; but his experience was the reverse,
and the medical men with whom he had come in
contact were as sincere Christians as any other
members of society. (Cheers.) He honored tho
profession for its benevoIeuce and administering TO
the. poor in the hour of distress. Tens of thou
sands in this city would rise up if called upsn, to
bear testimony TO this fact. Long may the brethren
of the medical profession cherish those benevolent
sentiments. The Rev. gentleman concluded by
giving as a toast
The medical profession for Its deep scsncs and SKILL
ana upboupded philanthropy well deserves the approbA
tion Of every enlightened community
Mr. j. w. GERARD responded. He said this is
what We call, in the law, perfect swindle (Laugh
ter) 1t was arranged that another brother was TO
represent the bar but like many other promises il
was only made 70 be broken, and the brother
found, in legal phrase, mon est tmu.ntas Laugh,
ter } But he belonged to corps of ''minute men"
who. like the doctors were always ready. more
intellectual body of men he never saw than the
present. A revolution had taken place in this
ciety They had their new code IS we'll as the law
yers--either backwards or forwards, he could not
say which. (Great laughter) Ii he mistook not,
petticoats had crept into the profession-not mere
titioners The medical men were, therefore,
in danger OF suffering from this competition.
The women had the advantage of being beautiful
and attractive but for the life of him he could not
understand how they could become familiar with
the various diseases to which flesh was heir.
Oaughter) He had only read Of one fem ale lsw.
yer, and that was Porta, in Shakspe are; and when
he recently stood upon the spot which Shyl0ok's
Gaberdine was spit upon, and Portis pleaded, he
could fully appreciate the force Of that advocacy.
When he was in Venice, he was horribly bitten by
the mosquitos and he would tell them anecdoss
relating thereto. A rough custom house officer
accosted him, and looked daggers, seeing that hs
was Yankee He fastened his eyes particularly
on the broad brimmed hat worn by him, (Mr.
Gerard.) But Bhe thought politeAess would cost
him nothing, so he took of the hat and made
very low bow when his acerated forehead SO aston
ished the officer, that he thought he had the small
pox, and he passed him on without any fur
Their question. and was glad to get rid Of him.
daughter He had seen much of the arts in Italy.
de had looked upon pictures and statues till they
lived But all these were nothing till he came to
his native land in every city in the old country,
down to one third the population of Brooklyn, be
found that there park place Of preservation
Of the public health He cast aside ell the works
which he should employ his voice and pen, on re-
turning to his native land, was in reference to .
public park. (Applause) He then saw the i'm
portanee of the stand made by Mayor Kipgsland in
favor of public park In crowded London, Re-
gents Park alone measuring 800 acres) exceeded
in extent all the parks in New York. In Paris and
Brussels. in the cities OF Italy and in every city on
the continent of Europe-every where there were
parks, except in the city of New York. In these
places there were despotic governments, but they
took every precaution to preserve the public health
whereas in this free city it wholly neglected.
The sewing women and all the operative class, re-
qured change of air and change Of scene, The
speaker concluded with sentiment that New
York might have a park that would do credit to
the New World
The MAYOR responded "a follows :-Gentlemen-
thank you for the honor done mo in the SEN
timent just proposed, snd which, sm well aware,
is PAID in compliment rather to the position which
IN Enl N al g
my own In either event, gentlemen, it affords me
the opportunity OF avowing my great qualification
at beng present upon such OCCASION and Of testi
fyirg my sympathy for the noble and generous pur
pose for which you are asse mbled this evening The
medical profession, gentlemen, is not properly appre
ciaed The personal sacrifices Of daily, nay hourly
occurrence, the constant exposure to danger from
which lsymen shriI appalled, not properly es-
tnateo; and all are too apt, when the hour of dan
ger is ever, when fear of dsath has passed away
from us, when roscate health again bedeeks our
ton, and the skill which have warded of the dart of
the destroyed. The services OF the physician are
only Truly valued when they are most needed, and
too often, alas, is he repaid BY cold ingratude, if
not absolute complaint. But, gentleman, it is not
my place or purpose to eulogise profession, sur.
rounded IS am by its members. The world owes
to them debt Of gratitude; and if the world would
but pay its honest obligations there would be little
need OF such an organization as that which has
hcnored me by their Invitation this evening. | give
you, gentlemen Physicians only martyrs of
moOeIu tlmeS
DR.. STEVENS responded-He said, in all sincerity,
that whatever success he attained he owed to the
me steal profession Now, in his declining years,
nothing gave him so much pleasure as to compare
the good feeling that prevailed now, as compared
with former years He took soma credit for the
change CHEERS He could only say that he
wished them to 60 forward and that stricter bond
Of unity be preserved The clergy and the lawyers
should consider the medical profession their best
friends.
The next toast was
The Army and Navy The honor and dignity Of our
profession safe in The hands Of the medical staff OF
each.
The band having struck up The star spapgled
banner
Surgeon DE CAMP, Of the U. s. Army, responded