The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-11

OF the country but also OF the city, which de-
stroyed the preceding. and threatens the sue
The history OF the twenty-seven State
medical societies in the present thirty -eight
States proves that the relative prosperity Of
these depend largely On the number OF ply
sicians. the number Of miles Of railroad. and
the density Of population especially near to
the railroad inesl Ill the State. fair com
parison as to these three particulars shows
that Louisiana, outside Of New. Orleans.
, stands at greater disadvantage than any
other State except Colorado. Florida, Ne
braska, Nevada and Oregon. The tax on the
time and money OF the traveller, from parts
OF this State to New Orleans is as great as
from this city to New York, and yet there Is
centrating an assemblage, travelling facilities
comparable with those to New Orleans.
City members can do nothing 10 diminish the
tax on the time, but ought they not to DO oil
they can to diminish the tax on the money OF
the country members2 ln any case, the pro
J gress Ut our two railroads To Texas tnstitips
strong hopes Of the greater success OF this
society on their completion.
Comparison further proves that, with few
If any exceptions, the most prosperous State
medical societies have owed their permanent
success, some Of them their origin, TO the
fostering aid Of their Legislatures, by which
they have been chartered, authorized to ex-
anime and license, and In various other ways
. asaisted. Experience justihes the belief that.
while State legislatures heed but little the
often dissentient voices Of physicians repre-
, senting a few scattered localities. important
| privilege and powers would be granted to
even majority OF the profession II united In
a State medical society. Every. increase OF
privilege and power tends inevitably to In
crease the membership and influence OF a
/, society.
Another serious obstacle to our success ls
presented by the deplorable facts that In this
State about one-sixlh Of the white and seven
eighths VI the colured voters fact, more
than half of all the voters-"eannot write
their names" Ignorance spreads q pail 0f
Indifference and apathy far beyond itaelf
Men generally, even intelligent and ambi-
than for absolute superiority, end are prone
to become content when manifestly superior
! to their associates, even II these cannot
write their names.' Hence the education Of
every citizen, black as well as white, is Of In
finite Importance to the success Of this So
ciety, az of every other interest Of the state.
All the facts now enumerated tend to pro-
duce that vital defect. paucity OF mempets-
from which ensup too little professional inter
est ia the society's action to stimulate the
members to such labor az would render their
, sessions practically useful and attractive:
too little power to enlist. as power always
does, new adherents; and too lttle money To
, discharge the duty, most essential TO the sue
, cess of every scientific society, TO publlca-
tion and dissemination of useful knowledge,
An annual income of only $1,000 expended In
judicions publications. would rapidly increase
both our membership and the value of Our
publications. It. however, must not be for
gotten, that while the dissemination Of
knowledge 10 our chief road to success. reve-
nue. and publication are also two rocks on
i which many medical societies have been
wrecked, aud require for their beneicent dis
posal the utmost caution and discretion.
| But the greatest obstacle to oGr success.
the one To which all others are subordinate.
is the Interpretation by physicians OF the
| q which them
and at the same time be conferred on the
people, by union OF the medical profession.
To illustrate these benefits, and also to prove
that an efficiently organized medical profess
sion could secure them. are the chief objects
Of this address.
You will not forget that this society has
publicly declared that 'the Inauguration and
promotion Of State medicine Ia q subject OF
unequaled Importance to the material wei
| fare and happiness Of the people, and that
this great subject was the most important
| consideration prompting its organization
i Then surely we oursel YES should clearly I'M
derstand, and enable oil others TO understand
wha. is State medicine In general and In Its
details.
The adjective noun being used genercally,
as In statecraft and craftsmanship, State
medicine Ia the application by the State q
medical knowledge To the common veal. ana
embraces every subject for the comprehension
Of which medical knowledge, and for the exc
cution Of which the Legislative aud executive
authority of the government are indispensa-
| BILE It's bounds are necessarily as limited as
may be the authority Of the government, 30
that In the United States, State medicine is
restricted, as to our national government,
within very narrow bounds within even mar
rover bounds than as to our county and mu-
nicipa governments, while our State govern
ments have ample and undisputed authority
1 over each OF It's four great subdivisions, viz:
Public institutions for the sick and the infirm.
medical education medical Jurisprudence,
| trta hyrsri
Are these vital interests of the people, OF
whom we are an integral part worthy the
consideration Of profession, the only class
of the people now able to appreciate their
Importance Or does It happen that the laws
| Of Louisiana are On these subjects SO enlight-
ened that we can with quiet conscience refrain
from efforts for reform? In TRUTH many
States are far III advance OF Louisiana. and IL
Is those farthest to the front which resound
| the loudest with the incessant cries OF our
brothers for additional progress. No physi-
clan whose heart vibrates In response to hui
anan suffering and whose brain Is sufficiently
enlightened to appreciate State medicine, can
POSSIBLY submit alphabetically, indifferently
and without effort to the many remediable
evils which beset US. An enumeration OF,
with comments on the various subjects which
belong to each one of the four great branches
of State medicine will suffice to remind you
what are some OF these evils and some Oh the
defects OF our laws.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR THE SICK AND THE
4 INFIRNI.
No State has yet perfected its laws for the
organization and support Of It's hospitals,
dispensaries, infirmaries and sanitaria; OF
it's asylums, which should be educational as
we'll as medical, for idiots and feeble-minded
children; or its asylums for the blind, for
mutes, for the insane and Tor habitual
drunkards.
When will Louisiana have such Q general
hospital as has Massachusetts, 50 excellent
that even the wealthiest and the worthest of
tn. State seek Its pay wards for their own
relief2 When will Louisiana have an asylum,
both educational and medical. for its idiots
and feebe-minded children, such as has New
York ~ When will Louisiana make such pro
vision for its insane that tender hearts will
cease to be shocked by the woful reports Of
!. grand juries and boards Of administrators r
And when will this State aid In rescuing
thousands of wives more wretched than
widows, thousands Of children more wretched
than orphans. from incurable drunkards, by
,, providing such an inebriate asylum, as New