The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-21
VIRGINIA MEDICAL SOCIETY
PROCEEDISGs OF TE9 e FIRST DAYS
SESSION OF THE SIXTH An
NUAL MEETING.
4 WELCOME FROM DR.. McCAW.
Interesting Addresses by Drs. w. C
Dabney, Of Charlottesville. and
Samuel C. Gleaves, OF
WythevtLle, &C., DC. .. t..

The sixth annual meeting Of the Eledica!
Society of Virginia was held in the hall o.
the House of Delegates, commencing at s
O'Clock, last night. About one hundred aud
seyeny-fve delegates were present. -.
! The body was called to order by the Pre-.
sident, Dr.. Samuel G. GleaVes, of Wytheyille.
CORDIAL WELCOME. ..''-'. a-.
The Society having been organized for
business, DR.. j. B. .McCaw stepped upon the
Speakers stand and welcomed the Fellows
very cordially. He said :,,r.-.. . r. ...s,.,s,
at is my agreeable duty, 10 the name Of
the Richmond medical profession, to wei
come you to the hospi, i,alities Of the city.
only regret the unavoidable absence Of my
friend the Mayor of Richmond, who could
fill the position so much better. IT. !8n
"But, gentlemen, know that every mau
before me loves this dear old place. You
Confederate surgeons were with US In the
| wears Of trial, when war, pestilence, famine
and fire swept over us; and, Fellows of The
State Society, you love Richmond, your me.
| tropolis, with its shady streets, its pictu'
rescue bills, its ripping waters. You love
| this old capitol, with its historic memories
that monument with It's immortal bro yes
the cid church yet ringing with the vo1ceso
revolutionary ancestors; and last, 5ou love
| Oakwood and Holly lywood, cities Of the dead
| where lie in serried phalanx representatives
of every State, city, county, and village ol
the South, binding our hearts together IN in
dissoluble union. .
| "Come, then, gentlemen, and let us spend
a few happy days together SO harnoniously
and probably that We will all recolICct With
pleasure this medical rtuaiop."
PREvENTABLE CAUSES OF DISEASE.
At the conclusion OF DR.. McCaw's address
the President introduced DR.. William c.
! Dabney, of Charlottesville, who delivered
the annual address 10 lbe Society AID the
public on the PreventabIe Causes OF
| Disease" he begun by abiding to the
mighty controversy now being waged, chiefly
on physiological grounds, between the cham.
| pions of skepticism and intiielity and the
humble followers Of Jesus OF Naz,reth-O
controversy which has been IN progress for
eighteen hundred years, and will probably
continue through all lime. II would be ex'
ceediuglg interesting to trace back its steps,
| so far as science is concerned, and see how
each new discovery and each theory which
| "time, the test Of TRUTH" has proven to be
correct, has only furnished additional evI.
denee Of the truth Of the everlasting gospel
Of Christ. .......... ....--e... .....
Important 'and fascinating as this subject
| is. it is not at all suitable for q popular ad.
dress, and therefore, said he, turn to one
which bears nearly the same relation to the
physical as this We have just mentioned does
to the spiritual we'll being of man.
1t is only within late years that the sub
ject of public health has begun to receive the
attention which it so richly deserves. The
causes of its neglect are manifold. The most
rkay no ma uraf % q
norance winch prevailed as to the causes of
d. else. ......... ...,........
Until quite recently the caus1tion of epi.
denies as we'll as other diseases received
but little attention even at the hands Of ply
sicians, ,r...... .... ....... .......
The speaker then proceeded to speak OF
the injurious effects of .drinking-w water and
defective drainage.
l. The evidence on which is based the
theoryof the propagation of certain diseases
by drinking water, and the most common
source of impurities. .t& :. ,taaE&H
9. The evidence on. which is based the
statement that defective drainage is afrult-
ful source of disease. @H52 ~ '.. ti@ ..s. >
And have, said be, selected these points
especially because they are causes of disease
which can only be removed By the action of
the people at large, or those having authority
in community. IN .r.,,t~-.,t .-,ug, -
Ia Solotburn in 1865, :" 10 o locality sup
Piled by certain aqueduct during the period
betWeen August Is and September 10th, a
number of persons were attacked with
typhoid fever. Almost all the houses sup
plied with water from this aqueduct con.
tanned cases OF the disease, while other
houses near and between them, unt With
different water.supply, escaped entirely. In
the barracks supplied WITH this water out OF
one hundred persons torty.two. were at.
tackled with typhoidfeyer.. On inquiry, It
was found that the sewage from. 3 poUse 10
which was,a woman i'll with this affection
had been thrown into brook Whlcn sup
piled the aqueduct, and Der clothes had also
been soaked and washed 10 this stream.
d. Toe speaker also gave other Interesting
statistics and facts to sustain his position. y
With reference to cholera, said be, we have
the most conclusive evidence Of itspropaga-
ton BY drinkipgWater. The famous tepi.
demic in Broad street, London, in 1854, was
traced BY DR.. Snow to an infected well, and
dot single neY case occurred after this well
sVas closed ~ " faT tHZnaGEttpt t-ti iis,s ss.s
mDuring the late Ashantee war mum bers Of
iue British troops were aia lacked withla af-.
feetion somew hat resembling cholera, the ex. =.
ensIon or witch was innedlately checked
bv purifying The waller, 70 tIHI
In our. own country too little attention
has been paid to these matters lofus to have
E u > s.a . w.