Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-03-06
ALUMNI REUNION.
Meeting of the Alumni Association OF the
Medical Department Of Wooster Uni
versity-EIection of 0fficers-Address
of William NJ. Ross, NJ. D.

The annual re union of the Alum
nj took pl : at ten o'clock, Thurs
day mo ming, in lecture room No. l,
Colleg Building. The reunion was
of two hours duration, and a very
pleasant occasion.
The following officers for the en-
suing year were chosen: President,
DIR. J. NJ. Lewis: Vice Presidents,
DR.. J. NJ. Crafts, William A. Knowl-
ton, ]. H. Hague, A. J. Gaune, vii
liam Graefe, G. S. Pixley, F. File
duer, J. H. Loroman; Treasurer,
DIR. J. N. Dalbey; Secretary, DR.. d.
B. Smith; Alumni Censor, I'll. A.
Root, of Toledo.
The annual address was delivered
by W. NJ. Ross, NJ. D., of Millers-
burg, Ohio, which we give in full.
AcN1ak <AbDA6ccs
Members of the Alumni Associa-
ton Medical Department Wooster
University, and brothers in the pro-
fession welcome you.
Being absent at the last annual
meeting, 1 could not thank you for
the honor done me by making me
President of this meeting; but to-
day 1 am here to tell you that 1 feel
greatly honored.
/ will not occupy the time in ma
king a set speech, for you will know
that it is not the province of the
physician to make long speeches,
neither is it appropriate on the oc-
casion. A few remarks, however,
in regard to the young practitioner
may be of some service to you. A
few years ago we met in these halls
as students, seeking the knowledgere-
quisite to qualify us to go forth and
successfully battle against disease;
how well we have succeeded in this
is written all along the line. Of our
practice. l doubt not that all of
you, as well as myself, have discov-
cred notwithstanding the time and
attention devoted to the study of the
profession that there many things
concerning diseases and medicines,
of which we are comparatively ig-
norant.
For that reason we have organic
ed this association to meet once a
year, and in that way gather from
each other information that would
otherwise require years, and perhaps
a lifetime of practice to acquire. To
become well-informed practitioners
we should mingle with each other
otherwise we will soon become con
tracted in our views, for we must re-
member, if we are guided simply by
our own limited experience, we will
surely go wrong. Here we can
profit. if we will. by the experience
of others. Laws and deductions in
medical sciences ought to be drawn
from large numbers of observations.
Let me not here be understood that
medical societies are the only sour
oes from which we draw our medical
knowledge, but there are other chan
nels from which we may drink deep
ly the truths that are set forth as
guide posts in the science of medi-
cine. l mean the press.
Let our libraries be in receipt of
the really valuable medical litera-
ture as it comes from the press, es-
pecially of the monographs and
works of the most distinguished au
thors. Let our books be our great
est luxuries; let our shelves be the
last places where we economize in
our expenditures. Money spent
there is well spent; new books are
as necessary to US as tools are to the
mechanic. In short we cannot do
our work without them. Let us not
confine ourselves alone to home pub
lications, but keep our orders at the
importers. Let our office tables be
supplied with the most prominent
domestic and foreign journals and
reviews. An eminent member of
the profession has said: "In consul
tations two or three meet;in socie-
ties hundreds stand face to face, and
have the privilege of exchanging
thoughts, but in the periodical press,
we have the collision of thousands
of minds busted with the same sub
ject; thus more truth is elected,
more progress made than could be
by solitary thinkers"
l need not tell you that the re-
sponsibility resting upon us as phys
icians is great. That which is at
stake is no less than the lives of hu-
man beings. Hence the importance
of a thorough knowledge of our
profession. Important as is the
knowledge of diseases and medi-
cine, there are other things of equal
Importance to the youngpractitioner.
Success depends upon that knowl
edge put in practice. Many a well
informed physician fails in practice
for the simple reason he does not
apply his knowledge. We should
dlagnostieateour patient as well as
the disease. Gin many instances he
needs but little or no treatment; in
others prompt and heroic medica-
tion. Here we are liable to two err
rors, which the physician should |
avoid. The first is in do
ing too little-leaving all to nature,
the PHYSICIANS study being a mere
meditation on DEATH" This is a
FAULT which cannot be too strongly
condemned, in view Of the rich and
we'll established resources of our
modern materia medica-for such
treatment my be followed by the
most fatal consequences, when there
s really something positive to be
lone. When there are clear indica-
ions to act, let US act intelligently,
promptly, and if necessary, heroic
lily. 3 ~ ~.
The second extreme is that of do
ng too much, the frequent resort to
leroic, violent, depressing and un
ertain drugs. OF the two errors
his is undoubted the greater. 1t
annot be too often repeated that
'owerfully acting drugs, uninteM-,
emily administered, are dangerous
hings.
l know how anxious we are about ,
hose-who are placed under our pro
essional care, and how we are
empted in our over anxiety, to do