The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-14
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DOCTORS.
Observations Of Member at the Meeting of
the Tri-State Society.

pl Valley Medical Society," formerly the Trl
State Medical Society, was held at Evansville,
Tuesday and Wednesday of last week.
DR.. F. W. Beard, of Vincennes, was president,
and Dr. j. A. Sutcliffe, of Indianapolis, vice
president, and DR.. G. w. Burton of Mitchell,
secretary. There was o very small attendance,
twenty four on Tuesday, and not to exceed fifty
at any session, including the local physicians,
although the reports to st. Louis and Indanap-
oils papers announced hundreds. For such lies let
us hope the doctors are not responsible The
meeting hurried up its business and adjourned
| at late hour on Wednesday night. 1t was a
mistake to call three days meeting, as many
of the doctors who have papers to read only
attend the day they read and leave on the ear
Hest train.
The society was quartered at the st. George,
as headquarters, and were unanimous in their
commentator of the house Much was done by
the committee of arrangements. DR.. A. Nj.
Owen, Of Evansville, the chairman, entertained
the society royalty at his home Wednesday even
ing 1t will be remembered that the society met
two years ago in Indianapolis, and registered 100
members; fifty papers were read and discussed, a
full three days meeting was held, and the meet
ton. The next meeting is to be held at Quincy,
ILL.,, on July and B. with DR.. Arch Dickson,
of Henderson, KY, president; DR.. G. W. Burton,
of Mitchell, Ind, vicepresident; FL. j. Wright
of Olney, H., secretary, and William A. Byrd
of Quincy, chairman committee of arrangements.
AT the Quincy meeting sections are to be
abolished They amounted to nothing at
Evansville, and were abandoned for the general
meeting. The time of meeting has been fixed
for the second Tuesday in July, before the sickly
season, and just after the spring State meetings
After doctors have been off on their summer
vacation they are tired out, have spent their
spare money, and want to stay at home. The
feeling now is that the society will go up or
down next year. TO save it from, utter annihila-
ton committee was appointed, under DR..
Porter, of st. Louis, Dr. Wooden, of Indianapo-
lis, and member from Kentucky to see what
they could do to get good attendance and re-
newed interest. 1t was ordered that no papers
should be made up by quoting from textbooks
that no ,,oJ papers should be given to
that all the time be given to the
reporting of cases; in fact to make it a purely
clinical society. This society recognizes no
code, old or new; it has constitution, no legis-
lation; does not affirm deny, or receive or send
delegates. 1t is entirely independent. Its en-
rolling committee is authority on credentials
and 80 keeps it regular" The result is that
there are many men in it who have little fellow
ship with their home societies; they may have
even been turned out or be sitting on the ragged
edges of good-fellowship. But these fellows are
usually smart, and thrive under persecution.
They have been abroad, or they have speciality,
or run private santarium. They are
smart takers and always carry bundle of IRE
prints" of their great operations, which scat
tered about like the leaves of Valambrosa, ard
they do most of the work in the meetings, also.
Having disagreed with their brethren at home.
they agree with one another very we'll. Very
fifty times in one decade with only five Deaths
some jealous and equally reputable brother of
the same city states his belief that the
reporter has not had more cases than
he admits died under his care,
OF course the medical college men are on hand,
as well as the members of the medical press.
Indeed. the specialists, the professors and the
men with an 'organ" make up q large part of
the attendance in all the great medical meetings
in this country.
indianapolis was represented by the vice
president DR.. j. A. Sutcliffe, who read paper
on "Perineal Section for Structure Without
Guide" which aroused good discussion; by DR..
1t. V. WOODEN with paper on Nasal Stenoss and
its Treatment" This was punched in with two
other nose and throat papers-one by DR.. VIM.
Porter, of St Louis, the other by DR.. Cheatem,
of Louisville. They were discussed together. DIR.
Porter related a case of recovery Of voice after
ten years of speechlessness aphonia.) He was
absolutely and instantaneously cured by one
application Of the faradic current, which the
Doctor was using just to show the consulting
physician how to continue the treatment for a
year.
Dr. Wooden reported an allied case in consul
tation with DR.. Eastman which had not spoken
for years, but which recovered full voice, upon
tonic treatment and plenty of food in few
weeks Both of these would have been good
subjects for faith cures. They talked when
- hzI:z
The only clinical presented, and one of great
interest, was by DR.. l.. D. Brosc, of Evansville,
who brought child with fracture of the skull
from the kick of horse. Several large pieces
of bone were removed and the recovery was
perfect, though the finger could easily detect
pulsation in the brain. This brought up the
subject of brain injury cause of epilepsy and
insanity. Dr. Bauer, of ST. Louis, citing case
OF cure by trephining, and of a case which was
hung for crime committed while undoubtedly
insane from the result of an injury. To these
| cases. DR.. Brayton, of Indianapolis added the
two cases cured by DR.. Fletcher at the Indians
Hospital, by trephining and removing pressure
on the brain. This operation has been common
in the tin mines of Cornwall for half century,
but is now becoming not uncommon as a treat
ment for insanity, if in any way connected with
brain injury. 1t is understood that DR.. Fletcher
has two more cases to operate on shortly, and no
doubt the time will come when courts and jures
will show clemency where crime has been the
result of spasmodic insanity, due to pressure
from old injuries.
OF other Indiana doctors represented by pa
pers were DR.. II. II. Dixon, of Evansville, on
'.Malarial Hematurio;" DR.. A. NJ Owen, of Ev-
ansvlle, "GIsophagotomy," with case; A. NJ
Hayden, Evansville, 'Antiseptic Dressing"
and Dr. Charles Knapp, on sore Eyes" A
dozen more Indiana men failed to put in an ap-
pearance, although ''on the bills" 1t was pro-
posed hereafter not to advertise doctors paper
unless he was sworn to appear and read it.
St Louis was we'll represented in the papers
of Dr.. Bauer who wrote on the Cocaine Habit !"
probably to hedge on the chance of anybody
being ahead. if such habit becomes fixed with
cocaine at So 900 pound; by DR.. Bernays, who
had removed the gall bladder and believed the
bile is no use in digestion; by Dr. Borck and
Dr. Porter on their speciaties. Chicago and
Cincinnati did not show up. The pharmaceutical
men looked disappointed, as there were no doc
tors to carry off their free wares, and they had