Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-22
Medical soefety Of the District Of
Columbia.

INTERESTING CELEBRATION OF THE sIxTIETH
ANNIVERSARY.
The Medical Society of the District of Co
lumbia assembled Thursday night at Marini's
Hail. which was well filed. The occasion was
to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the
society.
DR. TONER
as chairman OF the committee OF arrangements.
in announcing the programme for the evening,
made, in substance the following remarks:
The Medical Society Of the District of Colum-
bia was founded September Is. 1917, and this
meeting therefore represents the Goth anniver-
sary period OF time which represents two
generations of human life. Our first charter
was obtained from Congress i'm March. 1919.
The District then embraced the original ten
miles square. with the three cities. Washing
ton, Georgetown and Alexandria, the whole
population being but little over 3n.oG0. There
were twenty.One physicians named in this
they included nearly all the medical men then
practicing in the territory named. l use the
term our first charter, because We are now act
ing under revised and amended act of incor-
poration granted July Z. lSSS. In our present
charter there are named twenty-five physi-
clans, but the nearly forty years that
removed from earth all hut seven of
our honored and worthy representatives.
The names of those living are Doctors J. b.
Blake, Joseph BOrrOws, III. +. Condict j. c.
Hall, Benjamin King, Harvey Lindsly. and
Noble Young. or these. two-Drs. j. b. Blake
and &c. Hall-bave been physicians for over
Lindsly and Noble Young will have been ply
sicians fifty years next March. All these phy-
slclans are as familiar to the citizens of Wash
ington as household words, and have been
particularly blessed with length of days and
professional usefulness. beyond the average
aliO. ted To medical men in the United States:
the average life of physicians being but about
= years. The average years of professional
life in America Is 81 years. and the average
age AT which physicians commence to practice
Is between - and % years. From The foTm:-
tion of our society in 1917 to the present there
have been about 40 names enrolled as licen-
tiateS of this society OF these about $50 sur
yiye and are more or less actively engaged in
practice. Without further predatory remarks
i proceed to the discharge of the agreeable
duty assigned to me of presenting 10 you an
old and highly esteemed member who has
consented to he
THE ORATOR OF THE EyENING-DR. 4. Y. p.
GARRETT.
DIR. Garnett opened his able and interesting
address with a reference 10 the rapid progress
of the science of medicine. due mainly to the
organized efforts of the profession. particular
ly such associations as this. He gave rapid
glance M the history of medical practice and
schools of medicine, ending with a highly in
teresting account of the straits to which the
confederate surgeons and physicians were re-
duced during the war by the enforcement of
the fedora! blockade which partially deprived
them OF their supplies. The physicians cut off
from their accustomed vegetable drugs, SUBJ
Stituted indigenous plants with great success
He cOmplimeHted them for successfully bat-
ting with the emergency. and also c9mpli-
mented the surgeons for deyising new methods
OF practice. made necessary by the blockade.
particularly Prof, Campbell fora valuable dis
coyery which he described. He closed Vith a
tribute to The present high character of the
profession generally. and the improvements
III the science OF medicine due to them.