The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-09


bert. M. D.. RushYille; ". E. Pritehard, Frank
lin; A. Rice, NJ. D., Columbus, and about fifty
Others
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
President Fahnestock then delivered the an
nual address. He called attention to the fact
that within the past twelve months the medical
world has been startled by the PRONUNCIATION OF
liberal views, coming from unexpected sources.
and that the tenets OF homeopathy are receiving
investigation and discussion they nave never be
fore received. He said that there is one class of
homeopathic who hold that everything emanating
from Samuel Hahnemann is absolutely infallible,
and who have added to his system extremes of
which the founder never dreamed, and who aim
TO place the method and ultimate limit of tenn
DerlDR drugs before the natural law of cure.
This class of physicians are known by the title,
assumed by themselves, of Hahnemanians or
pure homeopathic, while in reality they have
gone as far beyond the line drawn by Hahne-
mann as the majority OF the homeopathic
school have retreated from that line.
The other wing of the homeopathic
school includes the great majority of the prac-
ttloners or that faith. To these, medicine has
ever been liberal science, constantly improv-
ing, ever growing in usefulness. These admit
that Hahnemann founded system of therapeu-
tlcs better than any yet devised, but that, with
the enthusiasm OF discoverer, he rushed into
some absurdities that were nearly as great as
those he had abandoned. His law OF cure Is rec
ognized as true law, but he is not agreed with
in prOolaimiug it TO be universal and only law
by which "A cure of disease can be effected. The
lngly accepts advances in therapeutics, come
from where they will, and it claims the right to
make use of any means, chemical, mech anical
uietetlc medicinal or hygienic, that Will he OF
benefit 10 their patients. Homeopathy has with
stood the test of time, and Is prevailing, in the
opinion of President FahnestOck, who cited as
evidence tile fact that, however great the
difference OF individual opinion may be among
aomeOpaths on the one subject, "curative medi-
cine" they all agree to the superiority of
Hahnemann's law of similars; secondly, the
marked change that has been wrought III the
practice of the dominant school, and the zeal
many of its leading men have shown in the ap-
plicatiOn Of homeopathic discoveries to the cure
OF disease. Any unbiased person can easily
verify the truth of this statement by comparing
the writings OF Laune ana Jahr, published in
1S4O and 1880, with standard works of old
school writers of the same period, and
then making another comparison of
the homeopathic books above cited
with those of Ringer, Phillips, Bartholow,
Flint, Piffard and others published since 1870.
In other words, large proportion OF what these
distinguished physicans of the old school offer
as new and reliable has been known TO homeO-
pathy more than tftyyears,but are nOwpubhshed
by them as new ana startling discoveries. In pre-
pairing certain remedies, the homeopathic
method is declared the best, after careful and
rigid examination, and while II may not be orig
mai with us, the honor of developing and demon
stratlng It's superiority is fully accorded us.
PAPERS AND REPORTS.
Following the presidents address papers were
read by the secretary from DR.. G. W. Bowen,
Fort Wayne, on "Rhus TOxicodenron;" by DR.. j
George, Franklin. on Homeopathy and Allo-
pathy;" by DR.. H. W. Taylor, Terre Haute, on
"Septie Poisons the Only Cause of Pyrexia."
During the mornings discussion Professor Kent,
of Missouri, was asked why women were not
admitted To the Missouri Institute or HOmeOp-
athy, and replied that men and women do not
get along well together in u college, but that a
movement was on foot TO establish u woman g
college in Missouri He said the trouble was
they wanted to appear as ladies and not as stu
dents.
DR.. j. NJ Partridge, of the Indiana State Board
of Health, briefly reviewed the history of the
board and its work. Everything in the board
was now harmonious, and his relations were
pleasant.
The board of censors reported favorably upon
the applications for membership OF Drs. A. Rice,
]. u. George, A. NJ. Barnes, b. b. Freeman
II. Ii. Taylor, F. 1. Dickey, j. s. Beeler, c. s..
Ellis, E. p. GrosvenOr and j. r. Mulholand, and
the report was cOncurred ill.,
DIR. j. NJ. PartlOw, South Bend, read an inter
esting paper on alcohol from o sanitary point of
view.
A paper by DR.. T. c. Hunter, Wabash, on
"Pure Air, Water and Soil" drew out spirited
discussion, in the course of which DIR. N. r. Run
ues said that he had made 200 thorough Hnalyti-
cal examinations of water In Indianapolis, and
never in original cases of certain diseases, in
tracing their cause, had failed to find something
wrong sanitarily about the house.
The evening session was largely taken up with
an address by Dr.J. It. Kent of st. L0nis, Mo-,
on medical Education," after which tic mem
hers of the institute on invitation OF DR.. o. g.
Runnels adjourned to his office where the re-
mander of the evening was spent in social en-
tertainment