Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-12
NOT FOR THE KNIFE
The Eclectic Physicians Hold
Their Annual Session
PRESIDENT WRlGHT'S ADDRESS
An Exposition OF the Dominant Principles
Of Eeieeticism Delegates Present
and Subjects Discussed.

$40 IA the NtMilttu VIVA ststtuay
morning. The following members were
present:
| VA. Beker. ADRIAN; l.. l.. Baldwin,
Lawrence; William Bell. Smyrna; G.. NJ.
Brsdish, city; 4. Blsckmsn, Qnincvi
j. W. Cosford, Mancelons; NJ. V.
Cosford, Maacelona; T.. f. Curtis,
saginaw; j. ID. Crum. owosso; II. T..
Evarts, city; C. II. Lamoreux, Lake.
view; j. Lamoreux, Fowlerville; c. e.
LinsIy, Hamilton; Ell. $. McMas,er,
Dowagiac: w. l.. Marks, city; u. w.
Nafe, Fremont; j. II. Peters, city;
| +. VI. Wright, Athens; j. il. Wright,
| city; Prot. III. X. Wnitford, Chicago.
The meeting was called 10 order by
| President L. y. Wright of this city.
After invocation, Mayor Stuart deliv-
cred q very cordial address OF welcome,
which was responded TO by j. ID. Crum
OF Owosso. President Wright then de-
livered his annual address as follows:
| presideuus Address
| Ladies and Gentlemen OF the Asso.
ciation-It has been quito the fashion
| upon occaslons-llke this-ot the as
sembling of medica! wit and wisdom,
to devote goodiy amount Of time to
| the expression OF mutual admiration.
self-gratulation and general glorifica-
ton over the wonderful progress and
astonishing achievements OF medical
| science. The man who had snatched
from the jaws OF death large number
of cases left hopelcsslv to dle-by
practitioners of some other school OF
medicine; the man with the report of
100 per cent of recoverIes III intubation
for diphtheritic croup-hc having in
tubated just once--the man OF the one
hundred successful laparotomies BEAM
Ing pityingly down on the maa OF but
| fifty, while he with none to his credit
looked reveren;ly up to both.
| At q recent international medical con-
gfess an eminent surgical authority n
a glow of self-gratulation exclaimed:
"Wish the antiseptic method il Is the
surgeons fault if even the slightest re-
J action or rcdness is developed in il. or
J If an anputatlon is not healed by first
! intention; and even young doctors are
able with impunity to venture upon
| operations which the most daring sur.
geons did not think Of"
Is there not in this the true ring of
| the warrior? And in the facts enumer-
ated so exaltingly is there not an added
danger in the temptation to cut be-
cause it can be done with such I'M
punlty? 1t seems to me that this ex-
| preston of satisfaction marks as ac-
| curately the long way we still are from
any proper professional ideal. as do 20
| the exaltation of electrocutlon and the
| enthusiastic admiration by q prison
| warden of barred and dungeoned
penitcntiary, as the ideal means Of cur
ing OWL.
| Operating Room scenes.
| Let me recall to the minds OF those
who in the operating aniphltheater OF
our hospitals, where these brilliant
| achievements are seen and taught,
have watched with eager and intelli.
| gent interest the whole antiscphc or
aseptic and skillfully managed pro-
ceeding-the scene IN its details. The
man VINO gave the anesthet.c, whose
| first duty was his duty sand his second
to be invisible that he might obstruct
no ones line OF vision; the white.
capped nurses with Their array OF anti
septic towels and sponges; the trained
assistants, active, alert and numerous;
and last the accomplished operator, first
hedging his diagnosis piosalplnx,. or
may be an ovarian cysti. or possibly a
uterine tibroid; and now he cautions
against being too certain OF the exact
condition, relating, by way of argument
| for tins, some curious mistakes made
by others. Aud now the operation be-
gins. The lnclsion is carefully made
and every squirting vessel at once
clampcd. What change from the
time when bleeding was preliminary
to surgical operation! Al last the
peritoneal cavity is opened-ttat cav
ity that sucn little time ago was sup.
| posed so sacred that its invas on WAS
| almost certain death--aud now the ex-
| pioration for the diseased organ begins.
| Note the look Of serene assurance upon
the face of the operator as his hand
reaches the goal and grasps the offend
ing bit of flesh. Now there lsdoubt in
that look; his brow corrugates ne his
thumb and finger works. What
extensive adhes;ons he assures
YOU that he finds, while the
changing expressions OF his counter
ance is more and more a study as he
| struggles with those ADMISSIONS and
| changes hands and sweats. The min.
| utes have grown into an hour, when
| the bit OF offending flesh Is tied. cut
| of ana passed around on q pate,
| while the peritoneal toilet is made and
the operation beautifully and skillfally
| completed. And that offending bit OF
| flesh IS an ovary, slightly contested,
| aud a cyst as large as hazelnut upon
| 1t, or with. maybe. a pocket contsining
half = thimbleiul of puss. L. II pos,
sible that this achievement, so brilliant.
| yet with an admitted death rate of Is
| per cent. and probable risk OF double
that, 10 the high water mark OF profcs.
nonal aspiration? Can that fraction OF
a teaspoonful of puss or water be
reached in no other or safer way? II
is question worthy OF q thought
What We see To-day.
We zee today and feel q verify that
whoever directs the thoughts OF n.en Is
more potent than was over the leader
| of armed host. That the mothers of q
| nation equipped with intelligence,
| moral streEgth aud love Yields might.
| Ter power than ever did monarch upon
| throne: that in all the realms of ma.
| tare. physical and spiritual. the real
forces are the generally difused, gen.
| tie, never wearying forces. The vol.
canO oelches IN violence and the earth.
quake reads the solid globe. II il
| but momentary and the isv OF graysts.
ton il unshaken though the mount
aims trsmble. Nature, never wearled
repeats the miracle of the spring time
wien the certainly Rearing eondi.
tons give ever the bursting lie with
never varying or to be mistaken symp
4 toms.
The maturity Of summer and
autumn. melio~ing into decay IN each
and every phase, gives characteristic
and uamIstakAble slgns. Has con.
scious, ssntirnt life less expression than
the blade OF grass No However,
life normally manifested IN health anu
| sbnorsliy IN disease speaks snthoflts
i i.xalr al dafilaliA .--.r.t -l.aus A the nE