Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-14

gestive. On shelves behind the back of the
president were two or three hundred skulls,
some of them glisteniny with new coats of
varnish, others looking moldy enough to
serve as property in the graveyard scene of
Hamlet At the side of the hall in a case were
suspended three complete skeletons, neatly
articulated and dangling Imply in the gallows
style from the top of the case by means
Of highly polished brass rings piyo;ed
into the top of the craniums. These silent
witnesses to the fact that death Is still
king Notwithstanding the attempts of modern
science to upset his throne. did not at all de-
press the spirits of the doctors as they assem-
bled. Many of these doctors had not met for a
year or more, and they were hearty in their
greetings. Many surgeons who are expected
TO attend the meeting did not arrive in time for
the opening session to-day. Among those
present this morning were DIR. ID. Hayes Agnew,
OF Philadelphia, widely known popularity be-
cause he was one of the surgeons called to this
city to attend President Garfield. Others who
were present were Drs. W. L. Briggs. Nashville;
ID. W. Iandell. Louisville; Christopher John
ston, Baltimore; W. F. Peck. Davenport. Iowa;
s. n. Benham, Pittsburg; Theo. A. McGraw,
Detroit; Henry ii. Mudd, st. Louis; John S.
Billings, Washington; ]. r. Weist, Rich
mond Ind; Phineas S. Conner. Gin
einnati; J. Ewing Mears, Philadelphia;
W. w. Keen, Philadelphia; A. vanderveer, Al
bany; w. II. Curmalt New Haven, and l.. Nc
Lane Tiffany, Baltimore.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The session was opened without formality,
the president, DR.. David W. Cheever, of Bos-
ton proceeding at once to the delivery of the
opening address. DIR. Cheever is middle-aged,
blue-eyed. fair, with brown moustache and
side whiskers, features just sharp enough TO
suggest the proverbial keenness of the New
Highlander and a slight. well-formed figure,
oh. l. 4.
dress which received close attention and was
warmly applauded, was The Future of Sur
gerry without limit" He spoke with delibera-
ton and clear enunciation.
Il believe" he said. that we are warranted
in saying that the future of surgery is without
limit. L deduce this conclusion, first. from
considering what the mind of man has already
done; second, from the future possibilities of
fields hitherto unknown and unexplored, but
now opening up to science. There can be but
two limitations, either in the mind of man or
in the subject. Since the time when in the an
thropoid the cerebral lobes first began to creep
over and cover the cerebellum. what a growth
has taken place in the penetrating power of the
human senses. The brain mas progressed from the
rude hammer OF the prognathous cave-dweller
to the telescope and the microscope. Origi-
nally of vision far less acute than the eagles.
the eye of man now ranges from the fixed star
to the 20,000th of an inch bacteria"
DIR. Cheever. in a rapid review, gave a sum-
mary of the achievements of science in its APP
phcation to human affairs, and then speaking of
the advances in medical science, asked: shall
We stopi"
In gradual development" he said. "the
brain of man has gone on step by step investi-
eating itself until we localize disease by the
tracings on cerebral surfaces. and condense in
that wonderful cortical substance palimpsest
OF impressions, mental and material.
AN EvER-wIDENING FIELD.
'Long SINCE" he went on, Twas it said that
all was found out in anatomy and that surgery
had nearly reached its limit. Far from this,
the microscope has created a new anatomy and
a new pathology. Physiology changes yearly;
the lower animals yield light by the Baconian
test of experiment. AnRsthesia enlarged sur
gerry; antisepsis emboldens surgery. and we
can set no limit to the advance. The three sa-
cred cavities-the abdomen, which means hid
den; the thOrax, which holds two feet of the
tripod of life; the skull, which conceals the
nerve force (the vital principle), all are ex-
plored. Medicine always obscure Is growing
clearer, and instruments of precision have
been applied to our art. The clinical
thermometer is the tell-tale of internal
changes. inflammatory or septic. What have
We to fear? We advance haltingly. but we adj
vance Specialism exhausts minute localities;
by its occasional discoveries enlightens medi-
cine; by its failures calls sometimes a halt
Specialism tempered by general medicine be-
comes a safe companion IN our march onward.
1t becomes us soberly TO inquire how to study
the new seats of surgical exploration.
What new methods are needed?
Where can we be bold? Since medicine is COM
posed of a science and an art we must study
the science in order to develop the art. The
four pure sciences are anatomy, physiology,
chemistry, pathology. These purely scientific
portions of our profession are the only ones
hat nd ia
only by dissection, experiments and analyses"
DR.. Cheever briefly reviewed the field of the
four sciences from which the surgeon derives
his knowledge.
LIMITED ONLY BY MAN HIMSELF.
1T is" he said, Ito the young surgeon born
and bred in asepsis that the older physician
must look for progress in our art. In estimat-
ing, then, the limitations of surgery We find
none. except they be set by ourselves How
should they be set? By conservative judgment
opposed to rashness." DIR. Cheever gave list
of modern and useful operations as dis
tinguIshed from those barely justifiable to in
dictate the furtherest advance of surgery.
Under the head OF operations as yet sub-judice
or on trial, he mentioned the following: resec-
ton of the pyloris: resection of cancerous in
testine or omentium; removal of the spleen, of
large bronchoceles, of the larynx, the pancreas,
the PROSTATE gland, the normal ovary; fixation
of the kidney or the uterus; puncture of the
pericardium; opening gangrenous assesses in
the 'lungs: tapping the ventricles of the brain.
Rash statements" ne said, ''are to be dis
counted; rash operations are to be discour-
aged. The wisdom of our earliest Greek mas
ter in Analysing the imperfectons of an art,
holds true to-day: AIRS Tonga; vita brevis
est; occasio fugax; experientia fallax; judi
cium dificile.' Yet with Bacon came the new
light of experiment. In his immortal words:
'Recte veritos temporis fila dicitur, non
anctoritas.' Lean not on authority; the test
OF truth Is time"
READING PAPERS.
At the close OF the address the association
held an executive session to attend to various
matters of administration. An open meeting
was then held for reading and discussing
papers. The papers on the program for to-day
are as follows: Surgical treatment of gang
renous hernia by DR.. N. II. Richardson, of
Boston; 1.-The early diagnosis of morbid
growths," by DIR. ]. Collins Warren, of Boston;
what forms of peritonitis demand treatment
by surgical measures" by DR.. j. Ewing Mears,
of Philadelphia.
The association will continue in session to-
morrow and Thursday.
Tomorrow evening the members will be en-
tertained at the residence of DIR. j. Ford
Thompson.
Officers for the year will be chosen at the
session Thursday.
Home for Incurables.
The new home for incurables, located on
Meridian avenue, was opened at 4:30 yesterday
afternoon by Rev. DR.. Leonard, of St. Johns