The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-03-15
THE MEDICAL MEN.
Interesting Discussions and I'M
portant Resolutions Passed.

pOrtant RESOLUTIONS HaSS6Q.
The Austin District Medical society
held its third regular meeting yesterday
in the Musical Union hall. DR.. L. D.
Wooten, president, and DIR. 7. j. Bennett,
secretary.
The meeting was called to order at 10
o'clock by the president, quorum being
present.
The following gentlemen were then
elected members: DR.. s. E. Hudson,
Round Rock; DR.. j. A. Holloway, Round
Rock; DIR. John Preston, State Lunatic
asylum, Austin; DR.. Il. H. Thorpe, Liberty
Hill; DR.. F. M. D. Hill, Dunlap.
Reading of papers by appointment was
the first business in order, and DR.. R. S.
Gregg, of Manor, was called upon. DR..
Gregg read a very important paper upon
a two frequent and dangerous accident,
which was discussed at length by most of
the members present, it being on a sub
ject of much practical Importance to all
active practitioners. The discussion oc-
cupied the forenoon, taking wide range,
and at II m. the society adjourned.
At 2 p. M. the society was called to
order, lVice-president W. s. Richmond, of
Manor, in the chair.
DR.. A. N. Denton read paper lit be-
ing the first of a series of three, which he
proposes to prepare on this sub
ject) on the management and
Treatment of the Insane in Texas"
this one having reference more particu-
larly to the deleterious effect on this IN
fortunate class-of law which requires
frequent changes in the medical manage
ment of asylums.
The society received DIR. Denton's paper
very favorably, endorsing the views ex-
pressed, that the medical institutions of
the state should be placed beyond the
domain of politics, and that the frequent
changes of officers must and do have
deleterious effect upon the inmates. The
paper was discussed at length, and the
subject eliminated in the following reso-
luton:
Resolved, That it is the sense of the
Austin District Medical society that the
law with reference to the appointment of
superintendents of the state lunatic asy-
lums and other eleemosynary institutions
of the state needs amending, and that
the government policy which requires a
change of superintendent every two
years is detrimental to the unfortunates
of said institutions.
Resolved, That the delegates from the
Austin District Medical society to the
Texas State Medical association be in
structed to bring the subject before that
body at the coming meeting at Galveston,
and urge their cooperation in efforts to
procure legislation looking to said
amendment or change of the law. Adopted
unanimously.
DR.. L. W. Cooke, of San Marcos, read a
most interesting and well-written paper,
entitled: SIS the World Satisfied with the
Medical ProfessionP"
The doctor took the ground that the
medical profession, as a class, are not
held in as high esteem in this country as
their learning and dignity demanded and
was accorded in the old world, and
assumed that one fruitful source of want
of confidence and respect for them by the
people is to be found in the fact that "doc-
tors will differ" The people seeing these
differences and divisions, especially con-
situations where occasionally no two will
agree upon the same, either as to nature
cause or treatment ola given case, one
proposing one thing and one another
econclude that it is ignorance, the trout
being that they know no difference ano
cannot discriminate between a physician
in the full sense, and a doctor" whether
he be horse doctor or any of the many
kinds of doctors of which the world is full
that the laws make no distinction anG
especially with reference to the class
knows by the medical profession to b.
quacks and impostors. So long as they
are called "Doctor"-as doctor is doctol
with the people-and the patent laws o.
the United States government hav,
brought the medical profession into disre
pute by the protection afforded this class
This paper should be read by the people
and especially by the solons of the Nine
teenth legislature.
! DR.. W. I. Richmond reported case o
placents pr@via, which elected spirite,
discussion, and brought out the views o
nearly every member present.
The appointment of delegates to tn