The Cecil Whig., 1881-05-21
The Cecil County Medical Society.

| hefllCtl DOtlclN WIS Ill lutS-
day last, at " hich the annual reports of the
| Secretary and Treasurer We're read and ap-
| proved, and a number "f interesting cases
were reported by the members present.
After which the election of officers tor the
ensuing year was held and resulted in the
| unanimous reelection of the officers of the
past year: DR.. K. f. Bromwell President,
and DIR. j. II. lamar, Secretary. The EN-
ecntive Committee of the past year WAS re-
| appointed aS follows: DrS. \. \. Hanna, K.
| II. Smith. and VIM. T. Skinner. The Presi-
dent then read his annual address, a copy
of which the Secretary was requested to
furnish to each of the county papers for
| publication.
| On reviewing the transactions of our So
ciety for the past twelve MONTHS am happy
| 10 congratulate you, gentlemen, on its as
| >ured success.
| congratulate you on the interest the
members have shown in sustaining the So
| riety by their prompt attendance ut the
| regular meetings; On the marked ability
| and research displayed by the various p;i-
| p-rS which have been read before it hy its
several m-u berS. and the interesting and
! Instructive discussions which followed their
| reading.
| congratulate you on the satisfactory dis
russionS of the complex and remarkable
| cases occurring in the practice of its men,
| berS, which have been brought before the
Society for the purpose of having light
| thrown upon them, and which have con-
| tributed so much to our mutual inStruc-
ton. And here, gentlemen, | would say,
believing, as | do, that the discussion of
interesting cases occurring in practice is of
great value to us, aud renders the Society
more attractive to its members. | would
| urge the advantage of taking full notes on
all int, resting eases for the purpose of re-
porting them for discussion. Upon the
younger members, | would especially urge
the great advantage of taking notes OF every
ease that comes under treatment. Such Il
| course is not only desirable for the record
it preserves, which will certainly be useful
for future reference but it also forms sys-
! rematic habits of inquiry, which, in my
opinion, lead to more prompt and ready
diagnosis than can be attained i'll any other
way.
The older | grow in practice, the more I
regret that did not in my earlier days
keep better record of cases: until he habit
is acquired, it seems irksOne and tedious,
but if systematically kept up, as it is by
most of the leading men in the profession,
the time and trouble are insignificant com
pared to the value OF the record.
During the year juet ended, we have had
ten monthly meetingS-fOur in Elkt0n four
III Havre tie Grace, one i'll Rising Sun and
one in Port Deposit. In addition to two in
structive lectures with plares and models,
on practical subjects, by Prof. Mear>, OF
Philadelphia, and Prof. Michael. of Ralti-
more, for which the Society acknowledged
its Indebtedness by q cordial vote OF thanks,
We have had valuable papers prepared by
its own members on the following subjectS,
viz: Dysentery, cholera infantum and diar-
rhna, typhoid fever, cystitis, diphtheria,
hTmophilla and syphilis, all OF which were
heard with marked attention. and followed
by animated and intelligent discussion.
In view of such a record, would ask
gentlemen, how can afford to >lacken
our int, rest in the Cecil County Medical ST.
ciety? Who, that works daily and very
often nightly in our ilsome profession has
the quiet leisure to read, even Il consier:,-
hle part of the vast amount of medical Ii
erature that is ever flowing upon IL, tr, IN
the energy and industry of the mary a e
workers i'll the various fields of medical :, j.
ence, and Gull therefrom all that would be
valuable in the practice of his profession
In histology, physiology, chemistry, in ther-
apeuticS, in surgery, in obstetrics and gym
geology and numerous other branches lis
connected with medical Scenre,-I say,
who among us has the time and leisure to
read up fully on all these subjects, even if
he We're competent to thoroughly digest it
without the attrition of mind upon mind,
the friction of intellect upon intellect, which
is only attainable in discussion?
In my judgment, the great value to us of
medical societies is that each mem her may
contribute to one common fund the cream
OF his acquisitions in medical literature and
practical experience, where it may be men,
tally digested by discussion and more fully
impressed upon the mind of each memb Der.
This furnishing of the mind by the discus
sion of scientific subjects is evidently Il
mutual benefit.
Medical societies. from the increased num-
her of Physicians, have now become pr;.cti-
cable all over the land; and not only pracri-
cable, but, shall ! say, q necessity to thost.
who are not willing To i've hehnd the times
in their profession. The constantly increas-
ing number is the strongest evidence of
their utility.
But, while l so ardently advocate the ad.
vantages of medical societies in acquiring
the broatteSt and most extended knowledge
of all that is new in lnedicine-the latest
and most valuable remedies as they are dis
covered-I would not be arrayetl in the
ranks of those who believe that in medicine
there is an antidote for each and every iii
that flesh is heir to, and that it is our chief
business TO discover that antidote and ap-
ply it. While have unbound-d confidence
in medicine itself to shorten the dnratioa of
many diseases, to relieve pain and anchor
ate suffering, and to save life in many, MANY
instances, also have unwaVering faith in
the efforts Of nature TO reinstate the normal
and healthy condition OF the system.
We are fOrcibly taught by homeopathy,
the wonderful resources of the Wis Me,lica-
trix Nature, how nnoided nature will So
generally cure the disease. BY hydropathy
and all the other pathies of active interfer-
ence, we see how many cases recover often
in spite of the treatment. All this teaches |
us that we need not always apply the anti |
dote in the form of a potent medicine.
Who can doubt that the body is very ma
ttrially influenced by the mind? How often |
have we seen Il patient declare himself cured
by some simple dose which we know posi-
lively could have no appreciable effect en-
cept through the imagination 1t may have
been some infnitesiual dose of the home |
opath, or an inert dose administered by the |
scientific physician. Have we not all seen |
the effect of tn, imagination in quieting
the aching tooth when it is about to be ex- |
tracted? The permanent cure nf interrnit- |
tent fever by counting the chills or pow |
wowiug i'll some ridiculous way? Have W.. |
not all observed the various effects of the |
emotions on the body? and no doubt |
many other instances occur to your memo |
ry. Now all these are positive, palpabl~,
material effects of the mind upon the. body, |
aud point out tn us q large field of study |
IN addition TO our Materia Metlica and Their |
apeuticS; and he will be the most successful !
practitioner who by thorough study and re
search and every poS>ibl" means has learned
when no to Interfere with the natural course
ot disease, as well as when to give the aid
TO nature, and, in giving that aid. when to
use the Materia Metlic.i, aud when and how
to influence the physical organization
through tho mental.
Ia conclusion, would earnestly invite,
in the name Of the Society, every practition.
er in good standing that is within our reach
to meet with us, even if he should not have
the time or inclination on ever occasion to
elaborate his views Many of our very best
practitioners and ableSt men are not in the
line of public speaking or writing, vet he |
would he none the less welcome here if h.
>hould be reticent when not inclined to
spaik.
These meetings give MS the opportunity of
improving our acqnaiErance with
each other, and thereby increasing our re-
gard for each; for it is human nature t.
feel more kindly towards those We know
we'll than towards those we do not know
1t would, therefore, enable us to succeed
better in our duty of constantly keeping in
vivid remembrance that grandeSt of all
"Tn do unto others us We would
have others do to u.s.
After the reading of the address the So
Iiety adjourned to neet in Havre de Grace
in conjunction with the Hartford Society on
the second Tuesday of june next.