Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-07
TIE PHYSICIANS.

caster city and county medical society is
being held in the opera house, Columbia:
to-day. All the trains running into Co.
lumbia bring delegates, and at this writ
ing, 12:45 p. m, there are upwards of one
hundred physicians, representing all sec:
tions of the county and state, and also a
large representation from Maryland.
Other points yet to hear from will sw, /
tho number largely. The morning session
convened at 1880 o'clock, and in the alb
sence Of the regular president, DR.. j.
A. Thompson, who is lying danger
Ously ill at home in Wrishtsville,
DIR. A. NJ. Miller, first vice president, of
Bird-in-Hand, occupied the presidential
chair, and DR.. P. j. Roebuck, of Lititz,
was elected vice president pro tenn. After
the election Of temporary officers, DR..
ID. l. Bruner, senior physician of Column
bia, was introduced and delivered the fol-
lowing address Of welcome
MIR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN This
stated meeting of the Lancaster city and
| county medical society has been convened
in this hall for the especial purpose of re-
| celving and cOmmuning with our friends
| of other medical societies. The physicians
of Columbia and neiShbOrhoOd have
honored ME with the pleasant duty of ex-
! tending to you, gentlemen of the home
and visiting societies, cordial greeting
Those whom represent would natural
| ly desire that their kindly feeling should
| be expressed wOrthily, warmly, eloQuent!y.
In selecting me as their spokesman. how
ever. they put aside all thought of rhctori-
cal display. My title to this foremost
| place is seniority; not that am so gray
rs our venerable president. whose absence
on account Of sickness l deeply regret.
nor do l wear so many years as
! the honOred father of our society am
| simply the senior physician of this place.
| But this seniority qualities me, knowing
| SO we'll by long association the feelings and
sentiments Of my townsmen Of half a CEN
| tury of practice, nearly thirty years having
to express in their behalf, as now most
earnestly do, sincere and hearty welcome
| on the part of my medical brethren espe-
| cially. l welcome you, not only to our
| town, but to the highest places in our
meetings.
This assembling together of the physi-
L
custom-innOvation, rather it has scarcely
| crystallized into 4 custom--but one which.
think, meets the hearty approval of every
one of us having at heart the interest and
| progress of our profession. With medical
! literature multiplied as it is beyond 4 busy
| mans capacity to read-tO say nothing
| of digest-some short road to knowledge
| becomes indispensable. The personal i'll
| terchange of thought, of opinion and of ex-
| perience, is condensation, y comb; nation,
of our separate study and research and ex-
pertinent. We meet to compare notes. ex-
pose critical cases. discuss the Thousand
questions arising in our ever-expanding
and improving profession.
New diseases, old diseases under new
forms. new remedies, new combinations,
new chemicals-all these demand our con-
sidcration and many our condemnation.
Our aim is to contribute each his quota to
mutual improvement, to the elucidation
of abstruse problems, the unravcl-
ing of seeming mysteries of di-
| sease. By contact VIC seek to
| burnish our minds, to sharpen our appre-
tensions, and to gather from the result
| ing discussion facts and data which shall
| stand us instead of personal experience.
Our county, state and national societies
tation but are not these reunions, free
| from the trammels of fixed time and place,
of constitution and bylaws and routine,
more gratifying and enjoyable?
As class We physicians are separate and
! distinct from other men. Our thoughts,
feelings, l may almost say our customs.
are peculiar. We naturally seek congenial
society; we find it within our own ranks.
Acido f,o n cfr;ctlv profa j1>p.1 hca rjuu
the influence of these assemblies in a social
aspect is strengthening to our brother
hood.
We must unite ourselves by every pos
sible tie for no distinct body, social, poll
tical or professional, can expect to exist
without envy, detractiOn and opposition.
We must stand firmly together against the
traitors, the imposters. the hum
bugs who intrude upon our ranks
and strive for our name and place.
We must denounce the ten thousand
nostrums which flood the country with
quackery in all it's forms. By our efforts
to prevent disease, to sOothe, to strengthen,
to heal suffering humanity, we must make
good our claim to be indeed the conserva-
tors of health, the true and only ministers
of healing.
Gentlemen, we have not forgotten the
kind reception, the cordial welcome and
hOspitable entertainment extended to and
received by us at Port Deposit and Wild
Cat. The members of Hartford, Cecil, Ok
ford, York and Harrisburg societies have
endeared themselves to us by their kind
ness and congeniality. We, in our town,
are the hosts, and will endeavor to make
the occasion one of pleasure to our
guests. This place has been Sc
lected for our assembly because easy Of
access by rail from every direction and
the unequalled scenery through which our
visitors have approached must have at
tuned their minds to high thOughts-we
await their utterance. We keep in mind
the lucid and erudite essays of past meet
ings, and look to you, gentlemen, for the
papers of to-dty. Let US, however, not
forget that discussion is earnestly desired
and should be participated in by all who
may feel interested in the subjects pre-
sented
Gentlemen, once more l welcome you
warmly. trust that this meeting will
strengthen the bonds of fellowship, cement
more closely our friendship and help to
elevate the standard Of the profession.
In conclusion allow me to say If your
visit shall prove asagreeable to you as it is
tiattering to us, you will carry with you
only pleasing recollections of an occasion
which we shall remember with gratitca-
tion.
At the conclusion Of this address the order
of exercises was continued as follows: ''The
construction and advantages of a new me-
eianical appliance for the treatment Of
disease of the spine," by DR.. II. L.