The Wilmingtonian., 1886-03-27
The Delaware State Medical Society.

upon "The Delaware State Medical Society
and its founders in the Eighteenth Cent
ury.''
The article, which is quite detailed one,
has the signature of DR.. L. p. Bush of this
city. 1t was presented at the last annual
meeting of the American Academy of Medi-
cine held in New York city.
Aside from the attention it naturally at
tracts among medical circles of state the
work has not less pronounced interest from
historical point of view.
Dr. Bush speaks of his profession as it
stood in the eighteenth century. The story
is necessarily told in great measure by
short biographical notices of the more prom
nent men of the medical profession known
at that early date in the history of Delaware
as sovereign state.
The category of historical names of Della
wareans, some of which are well known at
the present time will be looked at by our
citizens with no ordinary pride.
The Delaware Medical Society is one of
the oldest institutions of the kind in the
United States DIR. Bush allows precedence,
in this respect, to but one, the Massachu-
sets society.
1t was Incorporated in the year 1889, Feb
ruary Sd, by the Legislature of Delaware,
on behalf of the following corporators, resi-
dent physicians of the state-viz: John
Mckinley, Nicholas Way, Jonas Preston,
Ebenezer Smith, George Monro, Thomas
Nc cDonough, Joshua Clayton, Ezekiel Need
ham, James Tilton, William Molleston,
Edward Miller, James Sykes, Nathanie
Luff, Robert Book, Matthew Wilson, Joseph
Hall, John Marsh, John Polk, John Steph-
ems Hill, Julius Augustus jackson, William
McMecheu, Henry Latimer, James Mccall
mont, Joseph Capelle, Archibald Alexander,
Henry Peterson, and Levarius Hooker Lee,
The name and title of the Society as con-
fcrred by the Legislature was, and still is,
sThe President and Fellows of the Medical
Society of Delaware" and its powers were
such as are usually granted to such corpora
tions.
The first meeting of the Society was held
in Dover in May 1880 After a preliminary
meeting and the drafting of constitution
the following officers were elected to serve
one year.
President. nt.-James Tilton, NJ. D. Vice
President Preston, NJ. B. Secretary.
Edward Miller, NJ. B. .Treasurer.-John
Sykes.
Censors. Way, NJ. D. Matthew
Wilson, NJ. D., D. D. Joshua Clayton
Nathaniel Luff.
The writer of the article states that the
Society early showed its public spirit by
raising fund for the presentation of a pre-,
MUM upon some subject of general medical
or hygienic interest.
The first subject proposed and adoptei
was expressed in the following words
''What is the origin and nature of the nox
ious power which especially prevails in ho
and moist climates during summer ant
autumn, and produces intermittent and re
mittent fevers, and certain other diseases
and by what means may this insalubrity o
climate be corrected, and the diseases thenc
arising be most successfully prevented ant
treated?
1t strikes the layman that the above woult
be most opportune subject for the medlca
profession to-day, The question is by N
> means settled one, the allied one of til
the causes of dyptheria, typhoid, Sc, if W
= do not mistake, occupies the closest scien
: tilic investigation this moment in Whining
ton.
One hundred years have gone by and tn
same mystery challenges the attention C
medical circles. This at least can be said
e that the Delawarcau Galens and Hyppo
+ crateses of Revolutionary date were acutel
y alive to the needs of scientific investigation
upon this most important point.
1t seems that these early sages OF the meG
cal profession in Delaware, did not descen
= to the use of the vernacuar in recordin
=" their tranactions but kept the annals in La
in. It would appear then that they deman
10 our respects equally for general scholastic a,
qurements and high culture as for wild
. awakeness in the technical questions of Il
profession.
! At various meetings the following subjec
st were presented by members.
Dr. Snow on "ophtbalmia DR., Barre
on "The Influenza !" DR.. Capelle on TT
T@nia in the bowels of Rats" DR.. Tilt
n. or "Cholera Infantum . DR.. Theo. Wilst
az on "Phthisis Pulmonalis y DR.. David Bul
le on "Smal-pox;" on an Epidemic of Bilio
N Collie in Dover" on ease of Hydrocephalr
Internus successfully treated by murcur
It. on Cholera Inlantun, on Succodanea