National Republican., 1884-05-08
MEDICINE TALK.
Second Days Session Of the Association Of
american Physicians.
Committees Appointed to Nominate
Officers and for Other Purposes,
Proposed Legislation for Sanitary Regulation Of Ocean
Steamers.
Resolutions Concerning vivisection and
Various Other Subjects.

The American Medical association reassem-
bled ut tho First Congregational church at 10
o'clock yesterday morning. Prayer was
offered by Rev. w. A. Bartlett, ID. d.. pastor
ofthe New York Avenue Presbyterian church.
The president announced in q few fitting
and eulogistic remarks the death in Philadol-
phia on Tuesday afternoon Of Prof Samuel
d. Gross, o former president of the associa-
tion.
A committee consisting of DR.. Austin Flint
and L. A. sayre, New York; DR.. Packard,
Pennsylvan ia; L. II. Hamilton, New York;
Moses Gum, Chicago w. T. Briggs, Tonnes
see, and I. NJ. Hayes, Pennsylvania, was
appointed to draft resolutions Of respect to the
memory of the deceased.
The committee of seven to which was re-
ferred the presidents address was named, as
follows Drs N. s. Davis, w. W. Dawson, w.
I. Briggs, ID. w. Stormont, I. f. Prewitt, ].
L. Caboll, and II. b. Ransom.
The committee on invitation to tho inter
national medical congress in 1857 was an
nounced, as follows: Drs. J. s., Billings,
Washington L. A. sayre, New York; r.
Filts, Boston; l.. Morris Hays, Philadelphia;
Henry f. Campbell. Georgia.
DR.. A. N. Bell, chairman of the committee
appointed upon the resolution for securing
more competent medical and sanitary service
on board trans-oceanic passenger vessels,
submitted a report. Ho stated that after duo
consideration q bill was prepared and placed
in the hands of Hon. II. W. Slocum, who
had introduced IL in the house, and it had
been referred to the committee on commerce.
The bill to regulate the carriage of pas
Iengers by sea-" provides that in oil such
vessels two compartments shall be provided
exclusively to be devoted to hospital uses,
one for men aud ono for women. 1t requires
tho employment of q medical practitioner,
and when tho number of passengers exceed
800 he is to have an assistant. The doctor is
to report to the captain such regulations as
ho wishes carried out
Tho report Of DIR. Bell elected discussion,
which was participated in by DR.. Kaiser, OF
Philadelphia; DIR. Irwin, of New York. and
DR.. Jones, Of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kaiser
thought that the bill was good one but it
did not 70 far enough, as it should require
the surgeon of the vessel to report directly to
the United States government and not to the
captain of the vessel. De, Irwin said that,
owing to the fact that tks bill allowed the
doctors to be appointed by the company
and to be under their control, it was
impracticable. He favored the plan of
making the doctor Independent of
the company, and in all sanitary matters tho
authority, subject only TO tho laws of the
United States. DR.. Jones said that from his
position as q government medical inspector
he had never found that captains of our ves-
soils interfered with sanitary regulations, or
that the hospitals of those vessels were occu-
pied with rope and waste matter. The report
Of the committee was accepted and tho
committee continued.
A resolution urging upon congress imme-
diate action in the matter was adopted.
The following nominating committee was
appointed Drs; Jerome Cochrane, Ala; P. o.
Hooper, Ark; j. w. III. Lovejoy, District of
Columbia; II. Galloway Dakota; jesse Har-
ris, Colorado; &. L. Porter, Conn; w. Mar
shall, Deli +. w. Hatch, jr., CAL; L. p. Cook,
ILL.,; t. B. Harvey, Ind; II. G. Huntsman,
Iowa; +. T. Dickman, Kans.; W. II. Wathen,
KY; Il. G. Richardson, La; +. G. Thayer,
Me-; j. s. Lynch, Md; b. A. Duncan, Miss; ID.
Leasure, Mimi; Chas. A. Savory, Mass: N. +.
Essigs, No.; c. ]. o. Hagner, N. g.; J. w.
Parsons, N. H. H. +. Lester, Mich; s. F.
Merscr, Neb.; ]. W. 8. Gonley, N. " J. Par
rish, n. j.; W. M. Beach, Ohio; ]. b. MUIR
dock, Pa; J. II. Eldridge, r. l.; W. Hagor, s.
C.; J. II. Pope, Texas; Duncan Err, Tenn.
Alexander Harris, Va; III. d. Holton, VT;
George Beard, w. Va; William Fox, Wis; J.
r. Smith, U. S. A.; N. l.. Bates, U. S. N.
Walter Wyman, u. S. NJ. Ii. s. This commit
toe will report list officers for the associa-
ton at the session to-day.
DR.. John V. Shoemaker, of Pennsylvania,
chairman of the section on practical medicine
read reported, in which he said: "The
field of pathology and pathological research,
great attention, and of the subjects promi-
nently brought to the attention of tho profes-
sion, and exciting universal interest more
than any other, Is that of the bacillus theory
of tuberculosis and its contagious character
Only few years ago Koch stood almost alone
in its advocacy, but now similar confrmatory
evidence has been produced by Pruden
Dreschfeld, West, Gibbs, Heron, Wipham
Meissen, and others. DR.. Austin Flint, sr
accepts the new theory as well as the
Geological character of micro-organism when
added to predispostion leaving the subjects
OF contagion dependent upon tho causative
element combined with the favorable soil for
its propagation"
DR.. Shoemaker referred to the gave accuse.
tions cast upon American pork by some of
tho European authorities, and said that trich.
inosis is with us very rare desease indeed
in comparison with its frequent occurrence
in continental Europe In conclusion. DR..
Shoemaker referred to the tendency mani
tested on the part of specialist to form cliques,
and exclude the rest of the profession from
their deliberations, which the speaker char
acterized as an attempt more to form an aris-
tocracy in the most democratic of professions.
These remarks were greeted with applause.
DIR. T. A. Reamy, of Ohio, chairman of the
section on obstetrics, read paper.
Drs. Buford and Stevens, representatives of
1 the Canadian Medical association, were in
vited to seats on the platform,
/ An invitation was read from the managers
of the New Orleans Cotton exposition for tho
association to hold its next meeting in ono of
the rooms of the exposition building.
DIR. Henry Smith, of Philadelphia, offered
q resolution to the effect that as an attempt
was being made TO restrict by legislation the
practice of investigation in medical science
by vivsection, and that as such restriction ia
4 not needed by medical men, committee be
4 appointed to oppose such legislation. The
n resolution was adopted and referred to tho
following committee; Drs II. G. Wood, Wm.
II Pepper, James Tyson, of Pennsylvania;
Christopher Johnston, Maryland; j C. Dallas,
Austin Flint, jr, New York, and J. s. Bill
lings, u. s, A..
DIR. Atwood of 81. Louis offered resolu-
tion in reference to objections to medical
colleges advertising 80 generally as tonding
Il to increase the number of scholars and lower
u ing the standard. DR.. Benjaman, of Mary
land, offered an amendment urging upon all
medical colleges tho necessity of elevating
the standard of education. After remarks by
II Dr. Henry, of New York, the resolution as
amended was adapted.
A Tho association shortly after p. m. ad-
" journed until 10 o'clock this morning.
At $3.50 p. IN. the different sections met and
" papers were read. These papers will be
81 printed.
N Senator Palmer and wife havo invited the
Michigan members of the association to a
Al.