New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-17
SOCIETY FOR THE RELIEF OFTHE WIDOWS
AND ORPHANS OF MEDICAL MEN-AN.
y

ABOUT iZO guests SAT Gown AT tdOie DOdWOrths
Band was in attendance, and performed several sp
propriate airs before and during the entertainment
The chair was occupied by Isaac WooD, VI. D., Pre-
sident Of the Society. JAMES ASDERsoS. NJ. d.. G.
2. CAwMArS, M. D., and II. ID. BULKLEY VI. D.,
were the Vice Presidents. Grace was said before
dinner by Rev. DIR. PoTTs and after dinner by the
Rev. DR. FERRIS. The cloth being removed,
The PREsTDEET, in compliance with the require
meDts Of the bylaws, presented the following state
Dent Of the condition Of the Society:
The capital 2es 70 The iuyssnens amount 70
hs Of s..u Tss Iep FOR hs from
every From donations $685. initiation fee, and
ssc4 iSo,si si1 Isl and The eisSai:susnt, ssIs a
two are life, and forty annual members
The PREsIDEST said that in the place of two de-
ceased members: Dr. VIM H. hcNeyin and Dr. is.ec
Geer, two members had been added to the Society.
The former was the son Of the celebrated DIR.
McNeyn, the wellknown Irish patriot, the com.
panion Of Sampson and Emmett, the other was
native OF this State, and both were educated 10 this
CITY. The President pronounced an euogium on the
two deceased members, whom he described as men of
unoseDtaous and real worth, and then gave the fol-
lowing regular toasts:
Osy Soesy-Tbe oasprng Of the purest Of human emo
iiops The visor of; youth g,ves pr9m,e Of good old age
men had been invited whom the company would be
glad to meet but they had not been able to attend.
The army and navy also were now for the first time
unrepresented at this anniversary, which he much
regretted Dr. u. then read history of the assOcis-
ton. He first alluded to the philanthropc motives
which governed the enterprise and next to the grad
ual dying away OF professional enmy in this City,
which bad encouraged the designers to undertake the
work; the credit Of the undertaking was due to
Edward Delsfeld NJ D., who felt chiefly prompted
10 il by his knowledge of many cases in which phys
icians Of learning and skill but not great professional
success had died, leaving their families educated in
a refined manner, almost destitute. The first
steps we're taken in 1872 when meeting was
held, at which Drs. Stearn and Mott were
present the first President DR.. Dela6ed many
~ no mo-
chosen officers. At the end of the first year there
were sc members and the funds were 81 ,5O7. There
are now 80 members, and the funds amount to
sis. OOO Only member has died who has left his
family in a condition requiring them TO call on the
Society fr aid. The report dwelt on the advantages
offered to all members Of the profession, and especial
lv the Juniors who are much exposed TO the risk
Of death by disease by nsurng in so cheap and GER
tain mode that of subscription to the funds OF the
Society.
I,obay LOv ond Mdieias-The essential element: Of
civilized society may they ever be foupd united In sustaining
the cause Of truth and progress Music
The Rev DR. PoTTs replied-He said that not be-
ing much accustomed to public speaking his speech
would be short one. He had followed the reports
Of the anniversaries in the public prints with good
deal of interest The report just read had been so
full that any further observation on the particular
subject it treated would be superfuous; he would
rather speak TO the spirit Of the toast which united
fbe tbrt professions He regretted that there
many iss and Investigations in the science OF the
ology well as of medicine; de was invited as an
orthodox person; not orthodox theologlcally, tor
that was n matter of cOurse,) but orthodox in med
cine which he was-a thorough sustainer oil the oid
method. LApplause.l DIR. Potts dwelt on the i'm.
portance OF the three professions TO any advancement
In social welfare. They the very essence OF all
such improvements; and he congratulated the proies
sion on the fact that many Of its members are now,
what few used 10 be, believers in the truths of re-
vealed religion They recognized the fact that there
NAV be an entity distinct from the organs of its oper
atoms that the brain may be cut and dssected with
ont the soul being dissected out OF the man. lie was
Glad N perceve that physicians of this
In the mipstration moral and religious truth pow
erful auxiliary to their remedies
Counsellor LABON also replied. lie SAID that law
xas necessity of our nature and that il existed from
the beginning of the human race because there was
Law which Adam broke. When man became civil
lzed the necesstyof written law was made apparent
and II became in the words of the poet the terror OF
the bad the trust of the good. He referred to the
fact that many wills made which are imperative,
on account of some formal defect hethoughtlt would
be well that physicians around tue dying bed would
try to set this right Lawyers were much Nilhed as
body yet the highest Offices OF State were conferred
on them.
DR. FRANCIS also replied. He said any one who
anpeared before such company, such an occasion,
ought TO have a literary diarrhea He congratulated
the Society its prosperous condition. ana considered
il one of the most deserving institutions In the CITY,
II had moi been defeated by defalcaton bankruptcy
having integrity at its head He was glad to see the
orthodox clergy supporting the orthodox pracuce Oh
medicine aud wished that the present education oil
youth in medical science was less sciolstlc then
liable turning and mesmersm, and homeopathy,
wonld not be taken for medical learning. He had
seen lately in DIR. Adanss library, among many an,
Gent works those of Spiegeln s-he wished all
medical students were TO study these works instead
of modern inventions, such as the whole science oil
medicine in a pamphlet form. He d~eit on tue ex-
ceepce of charity and exhOred his hearers never 10
turn the INDECENT from their door; II they da 'nsl
tbey would be sure Of richer coffin than John jacob
Astor had, and his cost $3.50. His gray hairs had
taught him another lesson, viz that IL was easier Ior
man toleraby aided to be religious, than Tor poor
devil TO be converted.
The Rev. DIR FERRIS also replied He bore strong
Testimony TO the fathuness Of the physician In tue
most amazing scenes of sickness, and pledged hlm
sef 10 se ali his influence in favor of the profession
He argued for high standard OF education IN tne
rrofession Pie isms if left to themselves, would
and their own level. 1t might be supposed from the
renort which showed only one family dependent on
the Socety's aid that physicians generauy dleu III
good circumstances; but he knew to wins large eh-
TENT cases of desttuton were relieved by the private
charity Of the profession.
s. Woman
DIR. SIMS replied. NM
DR. BEADLE proposed the memory of Drs Meme
ven, Green, and Sweet lDranh III SheA0e'I
DIR. DUBoIs replied.
EdueaionNo higher service can be rendered 70 human
ity than which opens wide the doors OIL tne ie "
PrTyR COOPER was loudly called for He said 1t
had long been favorite desire OF his 10 WIDEN the
avenue Of the poor to knowledge-an luea susgesteu
originally by his consciousness OF the inadequacy
of the education he had received as brought up TO
.nechanical syocation. He sometimes, when renect
inc on the doubtfuness of everything human DOUBTED
the nrudence of bis facing the world with the APP
narnt ostentation Of his design but he was sustained
Nv the hope that his project would yet 90 good. ne
had long been convinced OF the grest utlily %
science as applied TO mechanism; he was auong 'lie
.frst who applied the steam engine to locomouon on
tbs Rs,,;more and Ohio Railroad His earliest recci
io,;ons usre of active labor, which had continued