The Portland daily press., 1880-11-27
Annual Meeting Of the Cumberland Co
Medical Society.

The annual meeting of the Cumberland Co.
die street at half-past seven o'clock Wednes-
day evening. DR.. Stanley P. Warren deliver
ed an able Grafton of which the following is an
abstract:
The Grafton was entitled "Three Score Years
in Medicine" A short sketch by way of intro
duction to the topic was given of the works
and struggles of an aged physician, sixty-five
years ago He rode horseback from 20 to go
miles day, with saddlebags and lancets, just
as welcome to the sick then as his more fash
ionable brother to-day.
Then two pictures were shown-the first Of
the condition of medicine in the early part of
this century. Quotations were given from the
old text books, showing the ignorance that
prevailed then about the causes of disease, as
well as the principles of treatment. The great
reliance was upon bleeding, purging and such
depressing drugs as tartar emetic, lobelia, etc.
In childbed, women were permitted to suffer
for days undelivered, because the physician
didn't dare. or know how, to give instrumental
aid. There was comparatively little indepen-
dent thinking in medicine then, and or1ginali-
ty OF thought or deed was discountenanced.
Tho contrast was given in picture of medical
practice as 1t is to-day, when every invention
is afforded to improve the work of the profess
sion. The greatest advance of the century was
the discovery of ether for inhalation, and by it
was made of the growth of specialties, such as
those which treat the eye and ear, the joints,
ne spine, the genito-urinary organs, and the
diseases pertaining to women. There has been
great progress in the methods of detecting and
treating disease and in the more accurate use
OF remedies. Nowadays blood-letting, is almost
cold water in fever.
In surgery the improvements in mechanical
aids to diagnosis and treatment were spoken of,
such as the aspirator, paster-Ofparis splintS for
fractures and spinal disease. Then the mar
wells OF reparation surgery were mentioned,
such as skin-grafting and the restoration of the
nose, the aseptic treatment of wounds accord
ing 70 the plan of Lister, was eulo rized
Brief reference were made to the better
drugs used, their being made palatable, Con-
centrated and that the idea is to use them in
the abstract rather than the concrete In the
department of obstetrics particular reference
was m Ade to the more frequent use of the for
ceps for delivery, and facts given to prove the
instrument friend rather than an enemy to
woman.
Finally the statement was made that there is
not as much sickness to-day as there was sixty
years ago, because the physician is doing better
work, through better training, and because
mystery is being taken away from disease.
That his labor is appreciated was shown by the
words of the historian, Bancroft: "No class of
men, in the regular discharge of duty, incur
danger more often than the honest physician
His vocation is among the sick and dying; he
is the familiar friend of those who are sinking
under infectious disease; and he never shrinks
from observing it under all its aspects The
physician shuns every danger but such as the
glory of his profession commands him to eefy."
The following board of officers was elected
for the ensuing year;
President-Dr. Chas. Hutchinson.
Vice President-Dr. A. P. Topliff.
Treasurer-Dr. j. A. Spalding.
Secretary-Dr. Chas. A. Ring.
Business Committee-Dr. q. A. Ring, e1 Of
fcio, DR.. f. HI. Gerrish, DIR. H. N. Small, DR..
e. E. Holt, DIR. Stanley 2. Warren.