Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-05-22
DIR. aRRGa's ADDRESS OF WELCOME TIC
TIE STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY.


chairman of the committee of arrangements.
At the opening of the session of the State
Medical Society, delivered in Darts Hall
on Tuesday;
Mr.. President, and, Gentlemen Of the
Illinois State Medical Society.
Not because of any peculiar fitness for
the position which occupy before you but
by the kind courtesy of my confrereS of the
profession here, | have the honor and
pleasant duty of extending to you, for my
self, and in behalf of the profession OF
Rock Island county, and Scott county Iowa,
a cordial frsternsl greeting. The pleasure,
Sir, of this duty, is tor me much enhanced
by the recollection that this is the anniver-
sGry of my advent to this locality. Forty
two years ago was walking the wards OF
the hospitals 10 the ancient City OF Dublin,
under the guidance of a Graves and Hokes,
Cussok, Champion, COLES, Marsh, Cheyne
and others well known to many of you for
their eminence in the healing art, who left
behind them testimony that among the pre-
cious materials entering into the structure
aud ornamentslion of the massive tower OF
medical science the Emerald lsle is not the
| vas drinking from ike fountain in the
city of Phiads, pEta, where LA ned from
the lips of II Mcclellan, Revere, Jackson
and o.her distiu uIshe0 men Of her TenOun-
! ed schools 10 CON pare aud contrast the dis
eases o. the old and new worid affected
/ by climate, sociat habits and other deter
mining causes; and thirty SIX years thIs
month and this dsy, have been added to
the muster roll of lime, since, in military
/ phrase, | flung my medical banner TO the
breeze, or In more houely language 'stuck
/ out my shingie" in this then EN- brJo city OF
Rock Island, at that tsme called Stephen
son, aud containing q few snail buildings
aud about one hundred inhabitants. Oar
sister CITY, over the water, the gem of lows
consisted of q double log cabin used fol
/ ferrying purposes, the rssideace of the lat,
lsmented Antoine lie Claire, a few huts, anc
thence westward TO the mountains the coun
try was terra iRcOgHitG.' Aud to-day
Mr.. President and gentlemen, you sit in th'
center of q circumference or radius of fsV
miles enclosing population of hfty thous
and as industrious, Intelligent and go-RheaC
people as is to be found on this continent
and | trust that before YOU leave US, yor
may BE- justified 10 addlng-as hospiiabl,
also.
Ny first attempt to practice in low,
vas made In canoe
Born and reared in the wlides
district of Western Ireland, there nigh
have been some Indian in me, but as CO
noe'st | WAS n failure. Placing q huge pal
of old fashioned pill bags IN one end, as
couuierpoiss ! took my seat in the other an
padded; soon found 1t warm work, took oil
my coat, stood up, and advanced step O
two to place it in . dry spot, when IN tn
twiukling Of 90 eye | was changed, ard III
fact, not before known, was demonstrated I
me that had more brains than heels Til
pill bags were lost, and, perhaps as Weude
Holmes might say, or did say, bad for th
fishes, but good for the patients"
In those days when renting, lntermittin
and congestive fever was the rule withoI
exceptions, my only place of repose for SUI
cessive days and nights was in log cabi
on yonder bluff. partially filled with ha,
, These few incidents Of my life are not give
in q spirit of egotism or selt-iaud alton, be
, that Young friends here may contrast th
then and now, and congratulate themselvt
, that their lines have been cast in pleRsst
= places and that now they ell ride in chsise
whereas, then, We walked and rode as be
We could.
Your committee Of arrangements, prob
bly, Influenced by the remarks made at II
meeting Of the society las; year, in Peori
1 By distinguished member from Chicag
1 condemnRtory of the extensive preparation
usually made for the reception and entel
g tainment of the society as infringing I,
. much on its time and impairing it's usefl
ness, has somewhat curtsied the usual Or
!. gramms. While admitting to some exte
, the force and wisdom of the eentlemAn's
marks, in my opinion, time should be Civ,
O at these reunions to mingle the tut
!, dulci." The over stretched 6ddle-string v
snap. The over worked brain will 1ofte
II Gentlemen, at my age and from my sta
a point | may be INDUCED, without seemi
a dictStoris, in the privilege Of 3 few advise
= remarks. Let me recommend to you to O.
e q halt as often as duty permits, and stoop
!. pluck the Angel, like few and far betwe
- roses that so seldom spring up along t
thOrny pathway of your toilsome journs
!, / deprecate, be it understood, that lstitut
y narianism embodied in the vulgar max
!. Of, "go it while you're youns
but / insist that there is no cls
|. who require rational enjoyment and rels
a cation more, or who deserve it more, tn
medical men. At best they must take it
n homeopathic doses. Our good friends of t
"a clerical profession get it in heroic dos
q Who ever heard of doctor getting q pul
4 of FIVE or ten thousand dollars for trip
Europe to cure bronchitis
. Mr.. President. In the phraseology
. hos, 7itaity and love making. the old Gae
language is more richly expressive than a
known tongue, ancient or modern; "Ce
:. mil a faith e.; when reduced to barbara
> English msaus-a hundred thousand "
u comes We give you 'oead mil a faith
y AT cost all our GrenAdiers-Msy Bros