Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-20
THE MEDICAL MEMS MEETING
An Interestihg Session of Missouri
Valley Physicians.
THE "ELlxIRp OF LIFE DISCUSSED
Homeopathic Men Come in for O
"RonstingS' = Several Very Inn
portant Medical Cases Re-
ported and Argued.

The medical society of the Missouri valley
began its annual session last night at the
corner of Fourteenth and Dodge streets, in
the hall above the Metropolitan club rooms.
| A large number of physicians from Omaha,
Council Bluffs and neighboring towns were
present, the following being complete list
as taken from the secretary's register: James
Carter, p. S. Leisenrng, Victor IL. Coffman,
| j. b. Ralph, S. II. Loune. M. r. Melroy,
Clark Gapen, b. +. drummer, J. H. Pea
body, James Neville, j. c. Denise
j +. Lord, s. X. Spaulding DR. Gilmore,
l.. A. McKenna, M. II. Christie, H. Griffith,
L. S. Daley, Mary Stropg, A. b. Somers,
X. G. Moore, w. l.. Ross, c. Rosewater, c.
p. Horrigan, ID. c. Bryant, II. M. Stone, L,
j. Laggart A. f. Jones, w. o. Bridges, j..
| f. Summers, jr., Fred Bacon G. p. Wilkin-
son and l.. A. Merriam. of Omaha; F. L.
Seybert, James w. Frye, f. w. Houghton,
| +. S. Thomas, John Green, f. b. Lacey and
Donald McCrae, of Council Bluffs; f. A.
| Butler, of Harvard Neb.; G. Nj. Hobby and
| L. M. Matthews, of Iowa City; George A.
| Yates, of Brayton Rebecca Hanna, Of Red
Oak, Ia; r. A. Moore, Silver City, la. !;
| Charles Inches, Scribner; j. @. Emmert and
F. w. Porterfeld, Atlantic City, Ia, and M
Kirkpatrick, of South Omaha.
The report of the secretary, DIR. James
Carter, was brief but interesting. The So
ciety is yet in Its infancy according to the
statements made and has held but three
meetings, The membership is al
ready los with thirteen applicants on
file. At the last meeting sixteen valuable
papers were read, while at this session the
list has been increased to eighteen. The
secretary expressed much confidence in the
| future of the association.
AT this point a brief description OF the
society and its objects may not be out Of
place. 1t was organized for the purpose of
| fostering, advancing and disseminating
! medical knowledge, and for the further pur-
| pose Of upholding and maintaing the dignity
| of the medical profession, and to encourage
| social and harmonious relations among
| physicians. The mem Dership is limited to
| graduates of regular medical colleges in good
and regular standing. The attendance has
averaged sixty-tiye per meeting heretofore,
but this was greatly increased last night.
| The report of the treasurer, showing re-
celpts and disbursements, was read and re-
| ferred to the finance committee, after which
the reading of papers began.
The first presented was by DR.. f. A.
Butler, OF Harvard, Neb., entitled "Bilateral
Laceration of the Cervix," and was an ably
prepared history of q surgical operation
successfully Performed by the author,
assisted by DR., Shoemaker, of Trumbull.
first of which was that IN order to prevent
nausea, oil of cloves had been used prior to
the administering. of the anasthetic The
| cone had been saturated with the oil
| of cloves and the patient had inhaled
it with good results, viz, that no nausea
whatever had followed This was. new
idea to many of 1.-The gentlemen present,
! several of whom expressed themselves as
| having learned something, declaring that
they had never heard of such precaution
| prior to the reading. of this paper. DR.. But
Ter said that he was a country physician and
! that his practice Eas,a general one, and not
confined to the limits of specialists as many
of the Omaha physicians are, but he was
| glad to have presented a new idea, which
was. however, not original, having been
taken from a celebrated medical work. An
other point in the history Of DIR. Buffers
case was the use of tannic acid Tor
the prevention of hemorrhage. The
general practice IS the use of hot
water. Several physicians, among them DIR.
Peabody, were of the opinion that the latter
method of procedure was the pest, inasmuch
as the after effects were liable to be more
salutary. DR.. Butler cited that hot water
HAD been known to increase hemorrhage, In
stead Of checking it. In this case the opera
tiOn was of so delicate nature that no
chances could be afforded, and the tannic
acid was considered by him as absolutely
certain in its results, hence he had used it,,
DIR. Buffers paper received no adverse crit
icism beyond this latter point, which is of
minor Importance. and he was the subject of
much congratu!ation over his success.
DR.. j. M. Emmert, of Atlantic, Ia, read a
paper entitled Acute Carries Moxillary
| Boues," which was document containing
the history of case of child five years of
| age which he had been called upon to treat
after five other physicians, including two
| homGpaths, had given it up. The child died
| two days after he was called to see it and he
has written a diagnosis of the symptoms for
| the pupose of arousing discussion as to the
real nature of the disease. Prior to his con-
nection with the case the child had had an
| attack of what purported to be rash. This
had disappeared only to return after which
the patient grew worse and finally died.
AT times the symptoms appeared
of syphilitic nature, but the
doctor, after rigid examination, exam
either In the patient or its parents. DIR.
Rosewater had a theory which he advanced
IN connection with a case he had in hand
very similar to the one described, He had
| solved the problem as regards the latter, but
in the former would be obliged to have had a
personal observation before venturing an
opinion There possibly might be syphilitic
origin for the case mentioned Dr. Rose
waters opinion was lengthy and embodied
many scientific terms but his position re-
garding the matter was generally endorsed,
An allusion to the fact that DIR. Brown
Sequard was in his dotage, made by,
DR.. Thomas in his "Opprotium Medicorum," !"
brought up animated discussion as to
the merits of the 'elixir." 1t was opened by
DIR. Hobby, who resented the imputation that
Brown -Seguard was in his dotage. Then
followed discussion. Some of the members
rldiculed the idea that the elixir could be
beneficial owing to the method of prepara-
| tion by maceraton. One physician con-
tended that the general idea of the use Of the
| elixir was erroneous, and that the idea that
mans vitality could be renewed by Its use
was mistaken oneli IL was merely q feed
ing of the vital force, and not renewal
| Then followed u general excoriation OF
homeopaths, eclectic physicians, etc. DR.,
Leisenring emphatically asserted that
there were meInbers who had been
| known TO consult with homeopaths
and that he favored firing them out. DIR.
Peabody thought9that by fighting homeo-
paths the societyIonly advertised them and
that the best plan was to let them alone.
The last issue of the Encyclopedia Brttanca
contained a six or seven page aaticle by a
homeopath, which admitted that homeopathy
was an error and IL they were let alone they
would soon die out dl
Then followed apaper on management OF
Strablsmus," by Dr. Hobby. which was a
| lengthy, carefully prepared and very scien-
| tiic document, ia fact one of the best Of the
kind ever read. While of a special nature,
1t evoked much comment from the general
practitioners. AT its conclusion the society
adjourned until to-day.
| w