Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-10


Thus chemistry, which il said to owe Its
origin TO a vain effort to discover the phil
osopher's stone, or the eliTir Uit1, became the
handmade OF medicine, and has made nature
reveal her valuable secrets by developing
the potent principles of the mineral and
vegetable kingdom, thus greatly enlarglng
the BaGteTiG mediea by the discovery OF new
remedies, among which, as ore OF the greatest
boons ever conferred upon suffering hu-
mainly, that OF anasthetics is deserving OF
special mention. Another benefit resulting
from these chemical Investigations which
every rebellious stomach can appreciate Is
that of Iessening the quantity Of medicine
administed and the size OF the doses, the
remedies being prepared in refined and
concentrated form and greatly relieved OF
their nauseous properties. So also by the
introduction of auscultation, percussion and
other agencies, new and more perfect methods
of investigating disease have been discovered
and applied, while microscopy, experimental
physiology and anatomy have likewise
greatly contributed to the accelerated march
Of m6 dieal science. But, gentlemen, great
"a has been the increase in medical skill and
knowledge, and rapid as has been the progress
OF your profession of late years, there Is, with
reference to your acquisitions and attain
ments, IS to all things human, point where
finite wisdom stands abashed, and solemn
and mysterious darkness prevails into which
reason would pry in vain, the glimmer OF
her lamp only serving 10 make the dark
ness visible" You may become more and
more ssmiliar with mans physical nature;
more and more expert in preventing and re-
lieving his mnltiform maladies, and thus
as benefaciors of his race, augment his FL FL
but " dust 10 du - is the irrevocabIe and uni
versal doom, and sooner or later the newt
able hour must come to each and ALL when
remedies are powerless and all the sppli-
ances OF your art must fail, and when the
wisest among you, as he notes the fiuttering
and receding pulse, the glazing eye and the
last expiring breath, is compelled to concsde
that as to that enigma we call life, whence it
comes, how it exists, and whittier it goes
outside of revelation-he knows absolutely
nothing; and so, after all, with a humiliat-
ing consciousness of the scantiuess OF our
actual knowledge, We must all bow with rev.
erential awe before the "Great PLY sician"
whose power is omnipotent, whose wisdom is
inf nite, whose prescriptions are infallible
and with whom alone is lodged the great
secret of lie, both as TO "the life that now
is, and that which is to come"
And now, Mr.. President ard gentlemen, it
only remains for me 10 renew the assurance
OF the qualification afforded by your visit
among US, and to express the hope that in
the extensive and expensive efforts we have
m ade to place our city in proper sanitary
condition, you may find something worthy
of your attention and commentator; and
that, in the meantime, our hospitality may
not be altogether barren OF entertainment to
"the inner man." as it is we'll understood
that while doctors are very rigid in apply
ing dieteic restrictions TO other peoples
stomacbs, they are proverbially liberal as to
their own.
The regular address of the occasion was
delivered by the president, Dr.. Il. b. Tnorn-
tsn. 1t was looked forward to with great
interest. The following is
DIR. G. B. THoRNroN's ADDRESS.
Gentlemen of the Medical Society of the State of
Tennessee:
1t becomes my pleasing duty, as your hor-
ored presiding officer for the year now clos
ing, TO welcome you TO Memphis at this your
annual meeting, the second held in this city
1t Is an equally pleasant privilege to repre-
sent, TO the best Of my ability, in the same
honored position, not only the profession in
this division of the State, but also that of
the State at large. In you, gentlemen, we
recognize colaborers in a splendid profession
with minds animated to thought and action
by the noblest of motives, and members
OF this soclety, in your conventional capacity,
entitled to the highest respect as a repre-
sentative body whose efforts have made noted
progress in the entire range of medical sci
ence and whose influence has been exerted
upon the legislation of the State not only for
the best interest OF the profession, but for that
of the whole people. Since your last c1nven-
ton in this city four years ago Memphis has
been the field of events which have made it
sadly conspicuous throughout the entire
country. Twice has it been visited by that
violent epidemic disease yellow fever, whose
subtle character, insidiousness of approach,
rapidly of spread and awful fatality place
il among the first ON the list of IN Malignant
dissas in our nosological tables. Still as
the bret re, but dreadful as the Storm" was
the epidemic of 1878, which President Hayes
said in message 10 Congress in abiding to
this subject, at is impossiblet to estimate with
any spproach to accuracy the loss to the
country occasioued by this epidemic. 1t is
reckoned by the hundreds of millions Of
dollars" 1t may be safely asserted but for
the energetic restrictive measures enforced
would have found its parallel iu the epidem-
ic which followed in 1879. There are many
in this community, and perhaps some among
you grieved then by those dreadful visitaiioDs,
who yet "long for the touch of vanished hand
and the sound Of a vo &c that is STILL" To
me il is painful TO dwell even for a moment
upon those sad events, the reminders of IN
told misery, and TO many irreparable losses.
But it is with feelings Of profound pride that
refer TO periods when, under the most try
ing ordesls, memb rs of our profession ex-
hibited those qualities and qualifications
which proved them worthy of their high
calling, and entitled them to the respect and
admiration Of the whole world. Few cities
in this country have experienced more rapid
transitions from prosperity TO adversely, or
withstood such severe tests upon its vitality
as this. One not familiar with its history
for the past four years can scarcely realize
the reforms which have been effected under
too, which were peculiarly
EN- barrassing both to the practical sanitsrian
and political economist. For the past three
years it may be truly said TO have been the
battle-ground of the former, and its
novel form OF governments. the study and
experiment of the latter; and
while all has not been done that should
have been in this length of time, there is
cause for coDgratulstion ON the accomplish
ment of so much. Those who have actively
in the administration of the
and its sanitary affairs during
that period, and upon whom responsib lities
rested, can alone appreciate the difficulties
under which radical reforms have been
Effected, and while candor forces the admis-
sion that the standard of recognized possible
either in sanitary work or in other
departments has not been reached, a. least,
the goal has been indicated and the road
TO it fairly mapped out. To those familiar
with the prosperity and metropolitan-like
2CllVlLy Oh DtlOIe uaTk CLOUD
Of pestilence swept over 1t, and left death
and financial bankruptcy with its accom-
panying gloom and dependency, aud with
The difficulties under which radical reforms
have been effected, may justly say
in the words of Virgil: FaeiLe decinsus arerni
ed reuocare 0rddUa kic labor, hoe
opus est. / bat state fact which is apparent
in saying that much OF the LOST ground in
the material prosperity Of this city has been
regained; that the development of old inter-
esf, the recent establishment of new indus
Tries involving the investment of large sums
by home and foreign capitalists with gen
eral spirit of adaptation to a changed order
Of things to keep pace with the advancing
ranges of the country, together with the
spirit of the local government,
affords substantial reasons 10 encourage the |
belief if not establish the fact that Its former
will soon be regained and placed
upon a more substantial basis than ever
before, and that Memphis will be Justly
entitled TO the credit OF being ranked the
city of Tennessee. One evidence of
prosperity which addresses itself
directly to you and to the profession at large |
is the establishment of medical college
under auspices which should make it become |
one of the permanent Institutions OF profess |
'ional learning in the STATE, and take rank
with similar Institutions of the country else
where. Those of you interested in the OBJ |
ec:s and familiar with the organization and |
past history of this society may feel Just |
pride in its development, and anticipate with |
an uuerring certainty an enlarged influence |
within its proper sphere There is 40 session |