Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-11-15
Montgomery County Medica. Society


at this place on Tuesday last, and was wei
attended. The election of officers for tn,
ensuing year resulted in the choice of DR.
Charles j. Maddox as President; Dr. L. E
StOnestreet, 1st Vice President; DR.. c. Il
Iddings, Jr., I'd do; DR.. Charles Farquhar,
Secretary; DR.. Edward Anderson, Treasu-
rer; Dr. Deets, Censor.
A very able and interesting essay was read
by DIR. E, E. Stonestreet, and the following
address on Hygiene and Sanitation" was
delivered by DR.. Chas. j. Maddox, and or.
dered by the society to be published in the
county papers;
Gentlemen of tie Society,":
1t gives me much pleasure to wei come
you on this occasion, and to note the con-
tinued interest in our honored and useful
association which the large attendance of
members here to-day so pleasingly indi-
Gates.
Another year in the life of our society
has drawn to its close, and cannot let this
occasion pass without thanking you for the
renewed assurance of your Partially in re-
electlng me as your presiding officer. also
return you thanks for your lraternal and
cordial cooperation on all occasions, espe-
cially for the courteous assistance by which
you have rendered more easy and pleasant
my duties as President of the Montgomery
County Medical Society.
In briefly reviewing the history of the
society for the past twelve months, | think
may appropriately congratulate you on
the satisfactory measure OF success it has
achieved, and especially on the continued
hos triu of L.,
devotion to the welfare of the people,
through the maoy valuable and timely es-
says contributed by our members on the
diseases to which our locality is most sub
ject. These essays were as follows: In
May, on "Malarial Fever" by Dr. Iddings,
Jr.; in June, on "Cholera Infantum" and
"Cholera Morbus," by Dr. Stabler; in July,
on "Dysentery," by DR.. Stone; and in Sep
TENDER, on "Diphtheria," by DIR. Deets-
The good work Tor our fourth year has been
inaugurated by our associate, Dr. e. Il.
Stonestreet with an able and interesting essay
with which he has to-day happily favored
us. These various contributions to medical
science have been serviceable to all of us,
and indirectly to the public at large, and |
readily acknowledge the benefit and pleas
ure personally derived therefrom, and am
sure voice the general appreciation OF the
society in thanking those who, during the
arduous labors of an exacting profession,
have thus generously contributed of their
knowledge and experience for the general
good. And, gentlemen, think it may be
pertinently remarked in this connection
that no other or more conclusive answer
than the valuable essays, to which have
alluded, is needed to reiute the baseless re-
port (said to have its origin in Il certain To-
cality in this county, that the only object
for the meeting OF the Doctors at Rockville
is to devise ways and means to extract mon
ey from the pockets of the people.
In looking over our special fields of labor
during the past twelve months we are forced
to acknowledge the marked increase of dis
ease in our county during that period
Dysentery was epidemic in some portions of
our county, but fortunately the death rate
may not prove more than or per cent.
Typhoid also prevailed, but while not so ex-
tensvey as dysentery, the mortality was
greater, reaching 20 per cent, A few cases
of diphtheria appeared, whose origin, how
of the county. Three Of these cases were
the gangrenous variety. The death rate
was about 3 per cent.
In view of the increase of disease during
the past year as indicated above, it is our
duty to face the evil and seek to remedy it,
and it would be unworthy OF our profession
TO ignore it from mere considerations of
policy or expediency. We can do this the
more readily as we know the causes are
entirely extraneous and the removal easy OF
when public attention is
directed to them, as it is our duty so to di-
rect it. Naturally speaking, no county in
the State is more iavoraby situated for
health than Montgomery. 1t has an alti-
tude of 400 to 500 feet above tide water,
sufficiently wooded for all sanitary purposes,
diversified by hill and dale, beautifully sup
piled with clear, pure springs of delicious
water,an numberess swift running streams
of great capacity. 1t is sheltered from the
OF the Atlantic on the East by an
territory of $50 miles in extent
and protected on the North and West by
ranges. But Notwithstanding
these natural advantages of location and
climate, think can say without exaggera-
ton more sickness has been prevalent during
the current year than in any two years prior
and the inquiry naturally presents
itself as TO the cause or causes. Doubtless
the large and unusual rain fall this year
and consequent rank growth of vegetation
has been one of the principal causes of the
undue prevalence of disease But | think
there are other causes which, lying compar
atively dormant hitherto, have been awak
ened into pernicious activity by the super
abundant moisture of the present except
ionally humid year.
No fact is more generally recognized by
our profession than that the good health of
any locality is largely dependent on the
use of pure drinking water and efficient
drainage, especially in the immediate vi
entity OF our dwelling houses. When our
county was more sparsey settled, these adj
were freely enjoyed, wherever :he
the least care was exercised in the location
of the residence. Within the last few years,
however, our county, participating in the
wonderful growth of Washington City to
which we are Immediately contiguous, has
rapidly increased in population; towns and
villages have multiplied, our county scat
is fast assuming metropolitan proportions.
The cheap acre of the farm period has been
subdvided into dozen or more town lots
of large value per foot, and the population
is thus being yearly more and more crowd
ed into contracted space. While this may
afford many advantages, social and other
wise, to attract population TO our county,
yet we we'll know that serious disadvantages
are also likely to be concomitant, unless due
attention to the Northumberland laws of
sa nitation be strictly observed-laws that
cannot be violated with impunity.
Inattention to drainage, or defective drain
age and the easy liability of wells of drink
ing water to pollution from the surface flow
age or percolation into them of organic
matter are the most dangerous of the new
evils and the fruitful sources of malarial
typhoid, dysenteric and diphtherctic com
plants; and to these sources, in my judg
nent, is largely attributable the increase Of
disease in our county for the current year.
Remove the causes, and our normal condi-
ton of good health will PROFESSIONALLY be
re-attained.
| think it is the duty of each member of
tn is Society to take it upon himself to in
vestigate the question OF proper sanitation
in his immediate locality, and wherever
nuisauces of whatever nature are found,
that are likely to be detrimental to the pub
lie health, TO seek to have them abated =
first, by calling the attention of those most
Immediately interested in their abatement,
and where private remonstrance may be
unavailing, then urging official action by
the local authorities OF the towns or the
Public Board of Health Of the county.
In conclusion. gentlemen, allow me once
more to congratulate you on the success of
tho Mont0omarv (iountu MadicaI SOciptV