The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-12
THE DOCTORS IN SESSION.
The Thirty-Siyth Annual Meeting of the
Indiana State Medical Society,
The Reports Presented by the officers Yes
terday-Dr Hibberd's Address on "Disin-
fectants and Their Uses-Other Papers.

The thirty-sixth annual session OF the Indiana
State Medical Society began, yesterday morning,
ut Plymouth Church building. Rev. DR.. Mcleod
invoked the Divine blessing Drs. Boyd, Blounti
Ehipman and Dreer were chosen committee on
credentials DY. j. Fl. Oliver, from the commit
zee on arrangements. made report Of the pro-
gramme for the entertainment of doctors from q
distance.
DR.. Elder, the secretary. made his sixth an
nual report It showed that at the last meeting
be had collected yearly dues from e75 members,
and since then 224 more had paid. making the
total membership 1899. During this year
new societies had beeen organized in
Ripley and Warrick counties, and
blanks were now out for the organization of So
eie.ies in Green, Shelby, Sullivan and Clay
counties During the year there had been nine
teen deaths reported. thirty-three removals,
thirteen Withdrawals. forty-slx suspensions, and
I43 new members added; 924 members have paid
dues, and as reports were in from only ffty-slx
counties, twelve not having yet reported, it is
thought that the membership is now above 200
For the first time in the knowledge of the secre-
tary there was no business for the committee on
sthics, as no appeal cases had been reported.
DR.. Kemper, the treasurer, reported receipts
for sthe syear amounting to $l.03702, and dis
bursements, $685. 30; balance, $l5072 DR..
Hodges, chairman of the committee on publica-
zion, reported that ], 400 copies of the proceed
ings of last year had been properly distributed.
The secretary read letter from DR.. Thomas w.
Flower. of Waxahachie, Tex, one Of the organ
izers of the State society, in 1848, donating to
a Of ha n
sne In existenee, it is believed, Of the first ten
annual meetings.
DR.. j. F. Hibberd. of Richmond chairman of
the committee on neurology, reported that thir-
by-flve counties had not answered his inquiries
about deaths Of members, but that the following
had been reported: Drs. John Wesley Posey,
Pike county, r. N. Philips. Pike county; Thorn
es Clifford, Franklin county; Robert Winton,
Delaware county; Owen Aborn, Warren county;
David B. Montgomery, Posey county; Joseph
Stettson, Lawrence county; Myron Fl. Harding,
Dearborn county; Jesse d. Mcclure Clark
county, Thaddeus M. Stevens, Indianap-
oils, John r. L. Martin, Howard county;
Charles S. johnson, Fountain county; William
s. Raymond Indianapolis A. M. Vickery, Tip
ton county; Joseph 81. Leatherman, Porter
eounty; Joseph Stephenson, Madison county;
John R. Featherston, Indianapolis; Samuel
Davis, Indianapolis; John A. Cowan. DeKalb
county; William A Terrill, Dearborn county.
The remainder of the morning session was de-
voted to papers by DR.. j. W. Milan, of Bruce
Eille, on Relation and Duty of the Physician to
the Public, and by DIR. G. Bell, city, on Wash
ing Out the Stomach as Relief in Certain Cases
Of Obstruction of the Bowels"
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The first per read at the afternoon session,
by Dr.. w. Hobbs, of Knightstown, was on
diabetes Mellitus," with report of cases. DR..
D. l. Rocker, of Castleton, then read paper on
"Fraxinus Americanus."
The committee on finance reported that the
accounts of the secretary treasurer, publica-
tion committee and committee on arrangements
bad been examined and found to DO correct.
The committee recommended an allowance of
600 to the secretary and $50 to the chairman of
the committee on publication The report was
received and the recommendation adopted.
DR.. Hobbs moved that the trouble between
the Fit Wayne doctors, Siemens and Lyons,
D question of veracity, growing out of paper
Read by the former in which he claimed to have
successfully trephined the spine, be referred to
the committee on ethics for investigation, the
committee to report. Drs Newcomer, Hibberd,
Woodburn and others insisted that the matter
lid not belong to this session. and the motion
was tabled
DR.. o. N. Huff, Of Fountain City, read an in.
teresting paper on the "Etiology and Treatment
M Acute Croupous Pneumonia" Dr. John
Chambers. OF Indianapolis, led in the discussion
that followed. and took the ground that the dis
Ease was contagious, citing the fact that at one
time between forty and fifty boys at the Indiana
Reform school, at Planfeld, had been attacked
Dy the disease, owing to certain hygenic condi-
lions in a certain building there. Remarks were
made by DR., j. l. Rocker, DR.. Smiley Of Green
castle; DR.. Helm, of Peru; DR.. Schell, Of Spen-
Ger; Dr. j. W. Hervey of Indianapolis; Dr. Nc
Caskey. of Fort Wayne; DR.. Haughton of In
dianapolis DR.. Boyd. of Dublin; DR.. Kemper, of
Muncie; DIR. Beard. Of Vineennes; DR.. Wood of
ANGOLA.
DR.. Mendenhall was introduced as delegate
from the Illinois State Medical Society
DR.. j. f. Hibberd read paper on '.Disinfect-
ants, which excited great Interest The paper
was quite long. Among other things he said:
II there be an agent that reproduces any dis
ease and we destroy only part of such agent. il
bs quite clear that what is not destroyed must be
sufficient to maintain the continuance of the
malady 1t is therefore point of first magni-
tude that we acquaint ourselves with the best
known means to destroy contagion, in whatever
shape it may appear, to the extent of the ami
hilation of every vestige of the active principle
The Importance Of disinfectants can hardly be
overstated There is a widespread belief that
there are preparations of chemicals or drugs on
which we can rely to arrest the spread of con-
baglous diseases Many OF these have little or
no virtue in that direction, and are made to SELL
either in fraud or in ignorance of their real
qualities 1t were far better that the public
should rely only on natural publication, tedious
and uncertain as it is. than that they abandon
natural purtncaLlon under promise that artificial
aisinfeetion shall do the work of publication
promptly and perfectly, and then realize through
experience and suffering that they have been de
eeived by false lights, and led into avoidable
Sanger by promises born of weakness and greed
A committee Of seven, of whom Dr. Stern
berg is chairman. has made a series of expert
nents to determine the value of disinfectants
antiseptics and germicides 1t was to this re-
port DR.. Hibberd called attention. A broad dis
tnction is made in this report among disinfect-
- a l. l.
should be, and it is a distinction that ought to
be borne in mind at all times. A disinfectant is
m agent that is capable of destroying the in
feeting power of an infectious material, and the
germ theory Of infectious diseases is so gener-
silly accepted, a germicide and q disinfectant be-
come synonymous expressions. An antiseptic is
nj agent that will arrest putrefaction but is not
therefore, necessarily disinfectant 1t may
effectually stop putrescence without touching the
vitality of disease germ deodorant is