New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-16
ADVOCATING UNITY IN MEDICINE.
DIR. D. B. ST. JOHN RoosA's ANNIVERSARY AID
DRESS BEFORE THE NETWORK ACADEMY

DR. D. b. ST JOHN RoosA's ANNIVERSARY AID
DRESS BEFORE THE NETWORK ACADEMY.
The New-York Academy Of Medicine held its an
nversary meeting last night at the hall, No. II West
Thry-rst ST. and despite the stormy and unpleasant
weather there large attendance or members ana
invited guests, among whom were many ladies' After
a brief address by Dr. Abraham jacob, president OF
the academy the regular business OF the meeting was
suspended and the evening devoted 10 DR.. ID. B. st.
John Roosa who, for second time in his connection
with the academy delivered the anniversary dis
course He announced as his subject " The Means OF
ERecting the Unity Of the Medical Profession ana
after referring in sympathetic words to the many dis
tingulshed members who have gone over to the ma
joty he sketched the history Of the academy during
the last fourteen years. showing how in that time It
had grown I'm membership from one hundred and fifty
10 nearly six hundred how from having no nome u
could call its own and nothing worthy the name OF
library II now has house and hail. library oil
80 900 volumes, and every appliance ana convenience
necessary for its work
DR.. Roosa then took up the main topic OF his dis
course and dealt with It in eloquent and scholarly
manner HIS lively saes were frequently greeted
with applause, notably when he spoke OF the al
vantage in social position which the American doctor
has over his brother In England where the medical
man IS below even the lawyer in the social scale.
On a scientific basis, however, he thought the pro
fesson In England one Of the most honored IN the
world and remarked that many members OF the pro
fesslon rise to higher social spaere than their
brethren. by being knighted
He said he was glad the worst forms OF bigotry
which had characterz the profession at an earlier
period had been largely eliminated, and that
each school willing to admit that
there might be some virtue in the others. But the
need of a united standard more keeIiy felt than
ever and he believed that there only one way to
remedy the diseased condition Of the medical PROBES
sion in this State This remedy, he said was to be
found not in making common standard for the de-
gree Of doctor OF medicine but common standard ior
the license 10 practise medicine. The degree should
be conferred as now, by each college according 10
It's own ideas TO what constitutes SUFFICIENT edu-
cation for the honor but the liberty TO practise med
should longer be left in the hands OF Dodes
however respectable and however distinguished, who
are actually only responsible TO themselves. All
efforts have law passed by the Legislature for tho
establishment OF state Board of Examiners had
thus far been Ruthless because the doctors have not
been able TO agree But the people themselves, as
former president Of the academy had said VIII some
day demand such system and then we shall have T.
The legal profession, Dr. Roosa said supplied an ex-
ample II was not many years since the people
demanded that the privilege Of entering the legal pro-
fession directly from a law school without an eA
animation by the courts should be abolished, ana II
was abolished. He thought that similar rule could
be applied with great advantage to the medical pro-
fession and believed that It would not only effect the
unity OF the fraternity, but greatly increase us Denen
cent power Among the distinguished physicians
present were FOrdyce Barker, eX president OF the
Academy: w. II. Draper and II. ID. Noyes Vice-Prcsl-
dents A. l.. LOOMS, A. ii. Smith, W r. Cushmal,
| Gorham Bacon, g. II. Fox, David webster I. l.
Dana O. b. Douglas, A. b. Judson, G. A. Peters
| T. A. Castle and Daniel Lewis.