The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-23
The MEDICAL SOCIETY.
Members Elected and Papers Read at
The Second Days Session.

SACRAMENTO, April 22.-The second days
session of the Medical Society was opened
at 10 o'clock this morning. President Gu
ness in the chair.
The following new members were admit
ted to membership upon the recommenda-
ton of the Board Of. Censors: w. F. May
nard, II. II. Clarke Robert Caldwell, J.
Ellis Rodley, II. D. Lowhead, J. D. Clark,
R. E. Hartley, W. J. Wilcox and A. Fine.
Tooley l.. Z. Lemoyne read paper upon
Medical Legislation and the Difficulty of
Enforcing It, prepared by j. P. Nancy OF
Los Angeles. He first referred TO obstacles
in the way of securing the passage OF laws
properly regulating the practice of medi-
cine. There is prejudice against such laws
as being class legislation. He recommended
the establishment of Board of State EX-
aminers, upon which shall be members OF
all regularly recognized schools Of medicine.
DR.. Ross of Woodland opened the discus
sion OF the subject, narrating his experience
in connection with . bill presented to the
late Legislature.
A paper upon the subject of Criminal
Insane" prepared by R. f. Rooney Of Au-
burn, was read by the Secretary. 1t ia.
vOred confinement in the asylum Of all
homicides no are acquitted of crime upon
the ground Of insanity. If reason is once
dethronrd, It's tenure OF power Is always I'M
certain, and there is always danger of re-
lapse in cases of hOmicidal insanity. More
over, the doctrine of heredity protests
against the privilege Of procreauion being
granted TO the victim OF Such insanity.
Phrenologists are agreed that heredity IN
criminal instincts is an indisputable fact.
No rational conclusion can be arrived at but
that the victim of homlcldal insanity should
be placed in seclusion, and that the door OF
the asylum should never be opened TO him
until death removes all danger of release.
DR.. Brainard of Los Angeles and DR..
Price OF Cotton spoke upon heredlty III
crime, and Endorsed the views OF the paper.
DR.. BraiUard upheld the right of the CON-
munity TO protect itself against the procrea-
ton of species by confirmed criminals, even
to the most severe extent necessary.
Dr.. Siattard and DR.. Mcfarland also in
dorsed the sentiments Of the paDer, the lat
ter especially expressing his disbelief in the
emotional insanity plea.
d. Orme of Los Angeles thought the
time had come when the profession should
put its foot down on the doctrine of emo
tional insanity as an excuse for crime.
DR.. Clark thought there should be a rec
ord kept of all cases where insanity has
cropped out, and such persons should not
be permitted to marry.
Dr. Mcfarland considered persons sub
ject to epileptic fits the most irresponsible
of the insane. and that all persons so at
licted should be confined.
In the afternoon session Dr. Nelson Watts
ndS ltluoldACu do q VI lllC SOt iNt1
and s. r. Mather, R. S. Markell, &. A. Plant,
Z. B. Nichols and kaspar Pisehl were
elected members, on recommendation of the
Board of CensOrs.
The report Of the Committee on Neurology
showed the following mortality list of the
society during the past year: George Wal
ter Graves of Petaluma, James Murphy of
San Francisco, w. B. Simonton of Oakland
John Larkin, Henry Terrell and Walter
HodgdOn OF San Francisco, R. h. Reed Of
Stockton, Z. T. Wilkins of Napa and Thomas
jenkins of Ornyille.
DR.. d. d. Van Slyck of Pasadena then
read paper on the :"Uses of Obstetric For
ceps," and discussion by various members
followed, in which r. Beverly Cole of san
Francisco denounced the practice as recon-
mended by Van Slyck.
DR.. y. .. Burgess paper on -" Fibrold
Tumors" was read by DR.. G. E. Blake, and
lengthy discussion followed.
DR.. Clinton Cushing of San Francisco
gave very interesting discourse on back
ward displacements, after which the EXecu-
tive Committee reported that in order to
maintain the dignity and honor of the pro-
fessiOn and society the members should
refuse professional recognition to those who
have been expelled from local medical So
| cieties; that the denunciaLiOn by e. F. g.
| Morgan Of the society practice system
should be heartily Endorsed by the society,
and that the practice referred to is inimical
to the profession and should be condemned
| by the society,""
The Committee on Legislation then made
report through Dr. w. E Briggs of Sacra-
mento. The committee reported that il was
| with regret that 1t announced that it was
unable to secure a better medical law for
| the State. Strenuous efforts had been made
| by the committee at the recent Legislature,
| but being without money it could not ac-
complsh anything. The defeat of the med
ical bill was attributed to lack of interest
| in it by the public and the blindness OF some
doctors who did not understand the purport
| of the proposed law.
The reports of the Board of Examiners,
| Secretary and Treasurer were received, after
| which the society proceeded to elect officers
| for she ensuing year. The following were
elected: President o. q. Burgess; Vice
| Presidents, Z. G. Remondino and W. j. G.
Danson; Secretary, William Watt Kerr !;
| Assistant Secretaries, Ii. NJ. Sherman and
| c. C. Wadsworth; Treasurer. J.. d. Park
inson. Board Of Censors-J. ii. Wythe, Ii.
NJ. Pond, 5. S. Kahn, d. 6. MCGOWAN, G.
P. Reynolds.
The election of Board of Examiners was
deferred until Tomorrow.
At tue evening session three papers were
read, and DR.. Gushing, by request, gave fur
Their information on the subject of displace-
ments After adjournment the visiting
medicos were given grand reception by
the Suffer Club.