The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-12

|
fession; and that our thirty.-sev.en
State medical societies are OF in
finitely greater Importance to our medi-
cal profession than the thrty-one British
branch associations are 10 their medical pro-
fession. However, there are but few States
In which the medical profession seems to
realize these important facts, and even few
State medical societies which seem to appre-
cate what is their chief function For, II the
promotion Of State medicine be not the para
mount object Of State medical society, then
what Ia its chief object, and to whom else
would 1t transfer the interests OF State medi-
eine2 Although some State medical societies
seem obllvious to this duty, none the less the
length of this address could be readily doubled
| In enumeratlng all that has been and 10 being
| done by others OF them. While the necessities
of this occasion will not permit this, 1t ~ ~
cutnbent on me to prove that State medlelne
| has been and can be promoted 10 our own ~
we'll az in foreign land by an organized
medical profession.
The first proof will be derived from the
| Massachusetts Medical Society. which num- :,
bers III IT'D membership much more than =, nan
the regular medical profession In the state
! has one branch In ever county. and more tnaH
one branch In several, has property valued as
more than sac, 900 and an annual income OIL
about $1,000 Ali that 1t has done need not %
| stated, for 1t will answer my purpose 10 ~
cali to YOU that 1t is In Massachusetts that
ARD found the best State board OF health
and the best registration of Vital statistics In
any State, and the Medical Examiner occupy,
| ing the larger part of the eoroners chair. Ii
| our society," even alter many Years, shvuIu
succeed in only this much then our society
| would merit the gratitude Of the people, anu
would certainly receive the blessings of pos
| terity. ..,,a.
hut since foreign and distant examples
often cause conviction to abort, my last PROOF
| shall be derived from a State whose bound
aries Hiss our own. and whose people are as
| like to us In virtues and In faults and as be-
| loved by us as brothers the State OF Alabama
Thata lesson by a may ps b paos mhat
advantage has Alabama over Louisiana
The former enjoys, | believe none over
the latter except the following: In 1910
the one had 141s practitioners OF mediclne,
to the square mile, the other 17laa; the one
neither had nor has large proportion
Of its population crowded into one
great city, thus diminishing the density
had and has New Orleans; The one
had sal 900 white population, the other had
362 600 the one had, In 1873, 1902 miles of rail-.
road, the other had only $50, the one organized
It's first State Medical Society Ii ls4S ana y
lived until 1861. the other In 1S49 and 1T
lived only until 1856; and, finally, the
Alabama society was reorganzed Id 1868 and
the Louisiana society not until 1878; ~ these
advantages only one will he considered IN re-
niles to the question: What good use has been
lost by louisiana
The Alabama Medical Association dellber-
ately considered for three years the construc-
ton OF q new constitution, which, peculiar In
several important particulars, specially pro-
yided for the advancement of State medicine /,
and 1t dates it's success from the adoption of
this constitution in 1873. 1T, at the same
| time, adopted. as guiding principles, that 1t
would sDever. under any circumstances, dc.
mand Legislative action for the express ana
l tar ~ ha
sion," and 1t would maintain as o primary
| object the publication Of the regular profess
| sion itself, and as q secondary object, the
suppression Of irregulars; In addition 1t
sity there is, that every scientific society
should use the greatest caution 10 attempting
| to influence legislation on political, or per-
80 nal, or class matters, and on matters un-
settled III science The results which have
| followed are, that the Alabama society has
/ organized thirty-two county societies, which
| have $50 MEMBERS and all OF these are men,
bers of the State society, IN 1873 II secured
/ from the Legislature an act, which constl.
/ tutes the State society the State Board oil
county societies county boards OF health, and
in 1877, the Legislature empowered this So
ciety to appoint State Board and county
boards of medical examiners, and granted To
exclusively and regardless of all diplomas, the
practice OF medicine in Alabama, determining
/ the qualifications necessary therefor, subject
to the sole restrieton-that those proposing
ito practice any irregular system OF medl.
4 eine' should be authorized to practice. II
found qualified in other branches than thera-
peutics. Thus, Alabama has formally recognize
ell the supremacy Of the regular medical pro-
fessiOn, subjecting frregulars to it's super
vision; and in fact has, by the acts OF 1876
and 1917, constituted it, State medical society
veritable medical legislature as to both
medical education and public hygiene, In
vesting this imperium IN tmper'o with
great and unprecedented powers II l.
bored thus well in the right direction failed
. to make any appropriation to pay the ex.
penses Indispensable to the execution OF thest
laws; and It Is very joyful to add TO- this, thai
|, the Legislature did In 1879 appropriate $4,000
! Who Of you will not gain courage from Ala
bama's example2 Who OF you will not earn
estly hope for the success oil this grand ex
pertinent in State medicine, and who Of YOU
will deny that l have now fully proved oil
promised? But, IL we are to pay "honor u
with the Alabama State Medical Association
must be mentioned the name Of Dr.. jerome
: Cochran, of Mobile to whom is due It's con
stitution and to whom Is largely attributable
. the prosperity Of the association and the con
sequent progress of State medicine In Ala
bama.
In conclusion, permit me, fellow members
through you to call the attention OF al
physicians Oh our SGhLe 10 tle IDaIy It
counted evils which are inflicted by Ignorance
. and negligence Of State medicine and to TIN
following considerations. AS this society Il
not composed Of visionary enthusiasts, w
cannot indulge the extravaganza hope that w
can remove all these evils in day, nor evei
, ia generation. But, none the less, we can
in all soberness, hold these truths to be self
evident: that, as surely as this State keep
step with the march OF civilization, SO surel.
: must these evils be eventually corrected
that q beginning must be made; that thi
beginning must be originated by the medica
profession; and that an organized profession
. is the only agent competent to deal With thes
evils-which are relics of professional as wei
as Of public Ignorance.
The only remedy for this ignorance Is In
, struction by lecture and by publication whc
necessitate an expenditure Of money, beyon
the means OF this society as Of most others
But, if the medical profession were organizes
! in county societies, these condensed int
State societies, and these aggregated into tn
: American Medical Association; and il ever
: physician cheerfully paid, as many now dc
7 annual fees of from $40 to SIS to support a
: three of these, it would be difficult to exag