The Portland daily press., 1886-06-02
MAINE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.
Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth
Annual Session.

The thirty-fourth annual meeting of the
Maine Medical Association began yesterday
morning at 10 o'clock, in the common council
room, City Building.
The association was called to order by
President LaughtOn and the meeting was
opened by prayer from the Rev. L. II. Hal
lock of Williston church.
The lreading of the record of last years
meeting was dispensed with.
DIR. Charles D. Smith of Portland was APP
pointed reporter.
DR.. A S. Thayer of Portland read his an
nual report, Showing cash balance in the
hands OF the treasurer of $721.49. The re-
port was accepted and referred to the usual
auditing committee.
DR.. A. j. Fuller of Bath reported on the
Medical School of Maine, reporting an I'M
usual degree of improvement and prosperity.
The secretary presented and read a short
paper on Faith cures" by DR.. G. A. Wheeler
of Castine.
Reports were received from various minor
committees, and paper was then read by
DR.. S. C. Gordon of Portland on the use of
catgut for ligatures and sutures.
DR.. Albee of Camden reported a case of
compound separation of the lower epiphysis
of the tibia, showing the value of subsul-
plate of iron as a dressing in the powdered
form.
DR.. 7. A. Foster of Portland introduced
resolution providing for review of the
transactions of other State societies to be
published in the transactions for each year.
By unanimous consent this was assigned for
further discussion to Wednesday afternoon.
The association then adjourned to o'clock
AFTERNOON SESSION
The association met at o'clock Drs
Sumner Putnam of Montpelier, Vt, and Dr.
J. S. Richmond of Woodstock were intro
duced as delegates from the Vermont Medi-
cal Society, and DR.. Robert Amory of Bos-
ton as delegate from the Massachusetts
Medical Society.
These gentlemen happily responded.
The President, DR.. Sumner Laughton of
Bangor then delivered his address which was
an exhaustive essay ON the development of
the protoplasmic egg, dealing with the
minute details of the wonderful problem of
life, in the progress of the anti of life until
it becomes formed material. The wonderful
fact which meets the Psychologist is that
these protoplasmic bodies undistinguishable
to any human perception are by process of
differentiation, made to produce so many and
varied tissues; in the same body some be-
come bone, some fbrine, some muscle and
so on. The most interesting phase of the
protoplaSmic development to the medical
profession is the germ theory.
The action of living protoplasm under the
influence of alcohol opiates instant poisons
and extremes of temperature are of vast in
terest to us as medical men.
The chief aim of the physician in his rela-
tions to this protoplasmic substance, is to
protect it from abnormal conditions, from
foreign substances and paraSitical growth.
The best germicide is normal living proto-
plasm, and the best assurance of this is pure
air, pure water, cleanliness of person, whole
SEINE food and temperance in every thing.
But to preserve the physical basis of life we
must know more of its functions and powers
of differentiation.
A vote of thanks was passed to DR.. Laugh
ton for his interesting address, which was
referred to a special committee.
Drs. Pendleton, Watson, Snow, Peables, S..
w. johnson, 0. III. HOrr and VIM. Cammett
were appointed as nominating committee,
pending the annual election of Officers.
DR.. G. r. Crandall of Portland read a
paper on the "Value of the Microscope in
the Diagnosis of Consumption emphasizing
the value OF early diagnosis in the treatment
of this dread disease.
The following gentlemen were elected to
membership
Drs. Isaac d. Harper, E. WATERFORD Isaac
G. Irish, Bowdoinham S. j. Bassford Bidde-
ford; G. NJ. Cobb, N. Windham; j. Fred
Hill, Waterville; Geo. b. Swasey, Portland.
DR.. +. III. Southwick reported two unusual
cases; one of intestinal obstruction from en-
larged mesenteric glands tuhercular in ma
ture; another of rapid solidification of lungs
occurring within four hours, accompanied by
commissions after the ingestion of irritating
fruit.
Reports were received from delegates to
other medical societies.
Adjourned to 7.45 o'clock.
EVENING SESSION.
The association met at o'clock. DR.. S.
w. Deyoll of Portland read paper on the
employment of Women as Physicians in
Hospitals for the Insane"
The employment of women in such places
must depend upon the reasons therefor. The
reader then gave a history of the employ
ment of women as physicians in such
hospitals. The main point emphasized was
that women were more fitted by their sex to
treat the diseases of the reproductive
organs occurring in insane women.
1t was claimed that this had been abundant
ly proven by the experience ofinsane hospital
managers throughout the country.
DR.. M. c. Wedgwood of Lewiston read a
valuable paper upon the treatment of the
nausea of pregnancy, which was given a
long and earnest discussion.
Adjourned to a. m. Wednesday.