Morning journal and courier., 1893-10-20
DecToRs, CONFERENCE.

An Interesting semi-Annual Meeting
 eers and Committees for the Year
 The Presidens's sAddress-Tribute to |
 the Late Dr. w. HI. Thomson.
 About forty members of the New Haven | County Medical society attended the semi- annual meeting at the New Haven house yesterday. Dr. W. L. Barber of Water bury called the meeting to order at Il m. After the regular routine business had been dispensed with the election of new mem bers came up. All the applicants for mem bership save one were received, and are ss follows: Charles A. Hamilton, N. D Wa terbury; Ralph A. Mcdonnell, M. D New Haven; Arthur N. filling, N. D., New Ha- ven; Edward 0. Bach, M D., New Milford; and Edward F. Pitman, NJ D, New Haven. After an address by Dr. Barber of Water bury the meeting was adjourned for din- ner, which was served by Landlord Moseley in an excellent manner. After dinner the meeting was continued, when the question for discussion, Diabetes" came up.
 Dr. O. J. D. Hughes of Msriden dis cussed its treatment in 6 very excellent manner. Dr. Wilson of West Haven read an interesting paper on "Uremia and It's Treatment" and Dr. H. Fleischner of New
 Haven Q paper on Recent Medical Rsms- dies" Dr. B. Austin Cheney of this city
 presented the society with an interesting ovarian cyst and a hydrocephalis mon strosity. After the program had been fin ished the election of officers for the ensu ing year took place, which resulted ss follows: Dr. J. F. Luby of New Haven, president; Dr. o. J. D. Hughes of Meriden, :. vice president; Dr. J. E. Townsend of New Haven, secre- tary. The standing committees elected were as follows: Dr. O s Rodman, of Waterbury, Dr. J. P. 0. Foster of this city and Dr. w. H. Zink of Branferd, cen- | sore; Dr. J. H. Townsend of this city, Dr. W. L. Barber of Waterbury and Dr. E. W. Pierce of Meriden, committee on cre- dentiale; Dr. s. D. Gilbert of this city, Dr. Lewis Barnes of Oxford and Dr. R. B. Goodyear of North Haven, committee on biographical sketches; Dr. H. Fleisch- | ner of this city. Dr. W. s. Russell of Wal lingford and Dr. F W. Wright of this city, committee on public hygiene; Dr. o. T. Osborne of this city, county reporter. The next meeting of this society will be held in this city on the third Thursday in April, 1894. Dr. H. W. Ring of this city | will read treatise upon inflammation of l the Cornea," and DF. c. E. Munger Of Wa l terbury paper upon "Pharyngitis and it's ! Treatment" The dissertators at that | meeting will bs Dr. H. A. Meeks of Meri- l den, Dr. F. E. Coudert of Wallingfo ord and Dr. H. B. Ferris of this city.
 Dr. w. l.. Barber of Waterbury, the re. tiring president oe the society, spoke upon
 "Medical Sermonizing," which is in part
 as follows:
 day our families and the public in ! general assume that our skill is to cure
 disease, not to discover causes and protect,
 by thus warding off its approach. As 6
 result, we seldom have the opportunity of
 using preventive methods. The fire has
 already alarmed the inmates. We cannot
 put it out. The pulmonary cough has ex.
 lsted for months before the aid of ths
 microscope iu desired or consulted, to dis l cover the sputal bscilli. The dropsy ofte1
 strikes the alarm bell of an organic hear | or kidney disease, all too late for its pos
 sessor. The cry for medical help should
 have been sounded long before, in the in
 cipient stage. When 1t is understood tha
 the physician desires to prevent disease rather than wait to cure it, we shall hav
 fewer sudden deaths from ur@mia, hemor
 Images and unknown causes.
 Is there any lawful reason why peopl who have an hereditary tendency shoul,
 marry and propagate species cure to
 miserable and short lived, that gives so1 ? ! row and unhappiness to themselves as ps
 rents, and useless to the worlds Roodnes . l and growth2 How much more importan
 then and practical the physician's eertif cate of marriage than the town registrar's The law compsls the phy sician to motif
 the proper authorities when their patient
 have an infectious disease, for the publi good. Why is it not made to cover othe
 \ Iicoopoo hot %rap , ! ted to each other, or to their offspring freedom of the marriage ceremony How hard we are all working to find , cure for consumption. Some time 1t wi occur to us that, as educated and exper enced men, the responsibility of it's COT , tinued existence rests with us. We are th g guardians of the public health. Prevsr !; tion Ia worth more than 8 cure. Why F. we tolerate ita We should not for ID, t ment allow a cholera victim to stroll abot l. | our crowded streets, occupy place in th , car, at our table, in our sstateroom, TT a t tend our theaters and churches, and ye T unrestraiued, the consumptive mingle : everywhere with humanity, expectoratin l | his sputal microbe on carpet, floor an g walk alike, innocently spreading seeds (
 death on every side.
 If we ars united in the belief that th
 disease Is due to microscopic organism
 | 8 it into our system through food or drinl l. why do we not restrict it2 Why nt a ! quarantine ita Or must such work bs lei
 to public philaDthropists or professions
 sanitsrians, while we continue to cure sue
 germ diseases as phthisis, typhoid fevs g l and diphtheris, for commercial value. f. The medical practitioner, like men " trade in the rush of business, with the ca a and perplexities of sick patients on b g mind, is liable to mistakes, both in diagu
 sis and treatment
 .- phthisis, "You doctors are all quaek Did not our eminent physician fell ne 7 was only afflicted with pharyngitis whe l. ! consulted him? Six weeks after, u @ mirror imaged on his medical retina 0 growth supposed to be malignant. 1 VI D ! hurried to the metropolis to have m ). larynx opened and the wart removed
 The expert found no 1aryngisl tumor, bl
 ! clearly outlined some form of nasal stem sis. Now I am booked for consumption ' because in the sputa the tubercnls bacil 2 have been discovered by another expert D When shall we ss profession place or l. knowledge in correct and scientific for
 for the comprehension of those patien
 who demand its Our opinions are pu V chased. Let us be careful that they a for value received.
 Again, we should practice and UT, b others to absolute cleanliness. I thin A there is none here, but strongly believes J. an infection. The method of it's prevel ,; tion we all understand, but do we in pr b vste practice employ that cleanliness tn o we are proud of in our hospital servioes q Is not quite possible, perhaps, but by clea d liness l mean 8 hand, not alone clean as :, society word, but so prepared that It is a solutely non germ carrier. Lst us the l. strive, not alone to be clean ourselves, br attend to 1t that our patient and nurses 8 ie aseptic.
 :, This is the first meeting of the socie }; since the passage of the medical act. Cs 3; we rejoicea Can we feel pride, who hs' b always depended upon OUT qualification 't ss we'll as our diplomas, to reflect our me It icsl light? Every irregular practition l. now has legal standing: Legislati ], l recognition ts supreme. All medical T n quirements read alike and cost the sam :, However, let bygones be bygonss. Tb !, society has been largely influential in u l. good work of ridding the public of medic g impostsrs. But unfortunately there 8 70 still number, legally qualified and regi D. and resort to every questionable method ;; advertising for self praise. Wilt the futu }; physician's standing be one of still high ,; education and attainmen,s Let us hope n and work for 1t.
 .' The following resolutions were adopt' r, upon the death of the late Dr. William j. Thomson by committee composed of Di ss G. Elliott, Dsggett and Fleischner:
 ., The members of the New Haven County Me 8, ical association, assembled at their eemi-annu le meeting in New Haven on October 19, 1893, lea