National Republican., 1879-11-27
ADVICE FOR THE DOCTORS.
The Annual Grafton Before the
Medical Society.
DIR. Reyburn Reviews the Past and Predicts
the Future of Medicine - PaIatable
Doses-The Preveutable Waste Of
Life-Progrcss Made in Medi-
cine and Surgery-Annl-
versary ofthe Society.


The sixty-thrd anniversary OF the Medical So.
Siety Of The District Of Columbia was celebrated
chair. The attendance was large. The meeting
was opened Mt o'clock, and Dr. j. VI. Toner, chair-
man Of the committee of arrangements, gave n
sketch of the carly history of the society, after
which he introduce Dr. Robert Rcyburn, who de-
liyercd the annual grafton. The science Of medi;
cine Of the present day he said. as has been well
remarked by DR.. Ellis in the matter of the treat
ment OF diseases, mas not yet assumed the definite
and agreed character that could be wished. Old
landmarks and methods Of treatment which have
suiliccd for the past generations Of physicians are
swept away and our lnbOrs have not yet supplied
their place. And yet we can rec that the dawn Is
breaking aud there is more and more light being
Shed upon the great problems Of medicine by the
rising sun Of physiological research. There are
two points especially noticeable In medicines com
ing into use at the present day, and these are their
palGtable character and their potency. The fiist
inventor of sugar. coated pills and gfanulos per-
haps, little imagined in so doing that he would
eventually be the means of destroying the system
of homeopathy. Yet such will be tue inevitable
result
By the adoption OF these improved pharmeceuti.
cal preparations we can meet the practitioners of
this system upon their own ground and beat them
with their own weapons The statement is often
made that the improved pharmaceutical preparn-
tious of the present day we have learned from
homeopathy, aud ifthis be so il only shows that
the practitioners of medicine are willing To
learn from any source, However much We may
have learned from them, one thing Is certain-th0t
homeopathic physicians have learned far more from
us than We have from them In obstetrics and dis
cases peculiar to women the advance has been very
great during the past twenty years and indeed y is
| almost marvellous. The mortality during child.
birth has been greatly lcSsened, and yet Is still
greater than IL should be.
Dr. Rcybun then proceeded TO give a sketch OF
the improvements in surgery and practical medi-
cine, and spoke of the great amount OF deaths oc-
curing among young children. The question then
arises, is this waste OF human life inevitable? The
answer unhesatingly given by all who have IL
yestigecd the subject T., tina, II can be avoided by
proper management In order TO show how easily
this mortality can be prevented among children, IL
will suffice to compare the mortality occurring
among our population and that OF England
with thnt met with among the religious body known
| as the Friends or QuaEers. lhe members Of this
denomination, ii IS well known, are temperate, III
dustrious and cleanly III their habits. Inc annual
list OF the members Of the Society of Friends In
England for the year 1879 showed the number 10
be about l7OJ0. During the year 1873 only
fifteen children died among them under the
age of one year, aud only eighteen children died
during the same period between the ages of one
and five years. This amounts to less thnn one-ith
OF the average mortality that occurred among the
Hence the conclusion follows that more
than Uur.ffths OF the mortality occurring
among the young children Of England is pre-.
INentiblc, and due to the ignorance of and
disregard to the laws Of health. large portion
| Of the deaths occurring among our adult population
are clearly due TO causes that cun and viii be
eradicatcd During the year 1871 little more than
oneh0if million Of deaths from Hll causes reg
stcicd in England. OF this number about ONE.
fourth were caused by what are called zymotiI
diseases.
Dr. Reyburn, in this connection. mentioned
The terrible rnYages OF the typhoid feNCl
in the village Of Cdtcrham, England, last winter
causcd by the criminal neglect of one perso II
Dr. Benjamin Browning, of England, has shown tia
in the late epidemic of diphthcru occurring it
London the disease was communicated by polluted
water The doctor then gave sketch of th'
future Of state preventive medicine ouC
closed with an appeal for harmony among In
members of the medical profession as follows
Let Inc remind the members OF our own society o
the fact that one week ago from all parts of tn
country multitude of men assembled In this cit
to do honor 10 the memory OF u true man ThUS
who fought with him, and those who fought asaiils
him were alike gathered together with mposn
ceremony 10 show their re,pect TO the Mobl
ana undaunted soldier. II, then, these mc
who in years gone by learned the art
Of war and blOOdshed have now learned Tia
sweetcr lessons Of mutual forgiveness aud peace
cannot we also bury our differences of opinion
and party and emulate their example? The plat
form Of our bencfccnt profession Is surely broa
enough TO allow room Tor all TO stand upon, and
surely viii be 50 If We agree 10 differ and give tn
same consideration aud respect 10 the OpiuiOns Z
Others we desire for our own. Let u.s. then, eXpreS
the hope that such will be the case, and this com
ing Christmas season will bring us it, blessc
lesson, aud then We can join IN the angels SOM
Glory 10 God in the Highest; ON earth Peacl
good will toward men," The attendance wa
very large, most vf the prominent physicians, bt
sides number Of Others, being present,