The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-10-24

l. Ihc Medlcai society resumed lLS SessioHs
yesterday morning shortly after 10 O'Clock
| President Claiborne in the chair.
Prayer by Rev. John E. Edwards, D. D.,
| OF Park. Place Methodist church.
DR.. Charles S. Britain, secretary OF the
Academy OF Medicine, was announced as
assistant secretary OF the Society.
On motion OF DR.. Christopher Tomp-
kips, Drs. Lewis A. Sayre, John T. Met
caIfe, of New York, and Robert Battey,
OF Georgia. were elected honorary members
OF the Society.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Calls were made for reports from commit
tees appointed at the last meeting, the first
being on Anatomy aud Physiology, DR.. r. L.
Madison, OF Lexington, Va, the chairman.
| The President stated that DR.. Madison
had recently died, but that a short time be-
fore his death he wrote that, owing to eX-
treme ill-heatb, he would be prevented
from preparing a report.
The next report called for was on Chem
istry. Pharmacy, Materia Medica, and The
rapeutics W. c. Dabney, Charlottes-
vile, chairman.
The secretary presented an excuse from
Dir. Dabney. to the effect that he was unable
to be present at the meeting Of the Society.
No reports were received from Drs. Hun
ter Mcclure. on Surgery; DR.. Henry La
than, on Practice of Mcdicine; and DR..
Herbert NJ. Nash, on Hygiene and Public
Health.
Benjamin G. McPhall, formerly Of this city,
but now Of Utah, on the
CLIMATIC INFLUENCES
and Health Resorts in the Western Terrific
ries.
The Doctor writes chiefly OF the climate
of Salt Lake Valley, Utah, and OF diseases
OF the respiratory organs. principally bear
ing upon tuberculosis. He says at least a
years residence is necessary for one to form
even reasonable idea OF the climate Of the
West. Most writers fail TO speak Of the
disagreeables of their favorlte climate.
Who bas ever mentioned that maIarial teyers
prevail around Denver; that its altitude
| i6, 900 fecl) is so great as to cause the death
OF many invalids who supposed they were
on a pilgrimage to Mecca Of salvation; !;
that pneumonia is common and more fatal
than in the Atlantic States: that abortion,
Dost.7nortem hemorrha9cs, and catarrhal
| troubles are common; that the changes are
sudden ard great to the we'll even; that
dust.s storms are severe and st!filng. Cali
fornia, too, where one in seven OF the total
mortality is due to consumption, fact
which Mr.. Nordhoff does not mention when
his venal pen describes its gloriously-invig-
Grating tonic, stimulating climate, and
paints its pure-blue Italian skies. So many
poor sufferers are seduced from loving
home to endure hardships, privations, and
death-ofteu visiting climate inferior TO
their own-that the public ought to be given
correct idea of the section they propose to
visit before starting to it.
The Doctor concludes his report With an
extract from an address which he delivered
before the Salt Lake Medical Society in 1876
on the climate OF Utah.
His report is dated ut Prescott Barracks.
Arizona.
On motion OF Dr.. Rddell, the report was
referred to the Committee on Publication.
OTHER REPORTS.
DR.. W. L. Baylor, of Petersburg, read a
report which he had prepared OH Arsenic
in Subntrate of Bismuth, which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Publication.
DR.. O. F. Manson, OF Richmond, appoint
ed to prepare report on Hemorrhaglc
Malarial Fever, stated that his report had
not been completed. but would be, and be
printed in the Soclety'S proceedings or in
the Virginia Medical Journal.
DR.. William r. Weisiger, OF Manchester.
appointed to report on Microscopy and His
tolosy, instead Of reading report Will to-
night at - O'Clock exhibit number OF
original specimens unGer The microscope IN
the Senate chamber.
DR.. William Selden, OF Norfolk, said he
had not been able to report on the Medical
History of Virginia, subject referred TO
him by the Society.
The subject OF Yellow-Fever, which was
to be reported on by DR.. James F. Harrison,
of the University OF Virginia, was deferred
until the meeting of the National Health AS
sociation on the 10Th November.
MINERAL. WATERS.
A communication was read from the Sec
retary of the Richmond Academy OF Medl-
cine asking the Society to appoint COM
mittee to investigate the medicinal virtues
OF the mineral waters of Virginia.
DR.. McCaw briefly addressed the Society
on the Importance Of such commission,
and presented resolution for the appoint
ment OF a commission to report on the the
rapeutical value OF the mineral waters OF
the State; and that said commission shall
not number in its members any resilient
: physician OF the mineral springs.
DR.. Hooper, OF Rawley, spoke Of the i'm
portance OF the question, and referred to
} the value OF certain waters.
DR.. Dillard, OF Bedford Springs, read q
|
mass.
2 DR.. Mcclure appreciated the value of the
} mineral waters OF Virginia, but could not
5 see how to get at the subject until the out
rageous charges made for the mineral wa.
/ tiers of Virginia were reduced. It was q
: very serious matter to prescribe minera
waters for a patient. II costs less now fol
the waters from Germany, brought three
hundred miles on "pack.mules and three
; thousand miles across the ocean, than the
waters Of our own State, not two hundred
5 miles away.
DR.. Manson offered an amendment TO DR.
McCaw's resolution, striking out that por
tion Of it which excluded the resident ply
sicians of the springs from serving on rnt
, commission.
!, DR.. Payne thought that we might as vel
put up our lancets and prescribe some min
eral spring for their patients ii the resolu
tion is to be adopted.
DR.. Apperson moved to lay the sublec
on the table until 12 NJ. Thursday.
The subject was finally postponed unit
Thursday.
CLIMATE OF COLORADO.
An invitation having heen EXTENDED u
DR.. Anderson, Of Colorado, and others, Il
address the Society, DR.. Anderson read
, paper on the climate OF Colorado, where ne
had been living for six years. He stated
| before reading it, that he disagreed witt
DR.. McPhail in several points touched upoI
in his report. He had In six years resi-
Gence seen only half-dozen cases OF pneu
monia in Colorado.
On motion of DR.. Edwards, it was or
desed that the paper be published In the SO