Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-01
NEARING THE END
The Triennial Congress of Physi-
clans.
ITS SESSIONS TO CLOSE TONIGHT
The Most Successful, in Every
Way, Yet Held.
B SINESS TRANS ACTED

The trier NAL congresses Of the American
physicians and surgeons, which has been in
session in this CITY since Tues lay, is rapidly
drawing toward a close, and by this even
ing all will be over, and many Of the IA
nous physicians who have gathered from all
parts Of the country will have left the city.
This afternoon there was a general ses-
sion Of the congress at Metzerott Hall. The
first part was given up to a business meet
ing, which began at 1:3O o'clock. The re-
mainder Of the program for the afternoon
was as follows:
From to 3:30-General session under the
direction of the American Laryngological
Association. Subject, 1.-THE Surgery of the
Accessory Sinpses Of the Nose" to be dis
cussed by DE-. F. H. Bosworth professor OF
diseases Of the throat in Bellevue Hospital
Medical College; DR.. ]. N. Mackenzie, lee
turer on laryngology in the Johns Hopkins
University and clinical professor of diseases
of the throat and nose in the University OF
Maryland; DR.. ]. H. Bryan, surgeon to the
throat department of the Garfield Memorial
Hospital, and DR.. John o. Roe of Rochester
N. Y.
From $3.50 to p.m-General session un.
der the direction of The American Neurolog
1cal Association. Subject. "rhe Influence OF
infectious Processes on the Nervous Sys-
Jas. j. Putnam, professor of nervous dis
eases in the Harvard Medical School; 1.-The
Relation to General Nervous Diseases" by
Dr.. Z. c. Seguin of New York; 1.-The Rela-
ton to Mental Disease" by DR.. Charles X
Mills professor of mental diseases and OF
medical Jurisprudence in the University OF
Pennsylvania; THE Therapeutics" by DR.
F. X. Dercum of Philadelphia
The Most Successful Congress.
In the minds Of those who have attended
the two preceding congresses this has
been by long odds the most successful in
point OF attendance. as well as in the value
Of the papers read before the body By nc
means the least important features of the
congress have been the meetings of the
component societies and associations, which
have held their sessions at the Arlington
and IN parlorJ and balls near by during
tne morning hours. so as not to interfere
with the general meetings in the afternoon
AT these smaller sessions papers have beer
presented and discussions held that had
direct bearing upon all that is most recent
In the various special lines Of the great
profession. 1t is true that to the laymen
the majority Of these papers have been
absolutely unintelligible. but to the ply.
sicians the greatest benefit has accrued
from the resulting interchange of opinion
as we'll as the descriptions Of curious and
unusual cases and experiments.
The ClimatOlogical Association.
One OF the most important bodies that
has held Its meetings In connection with
this congress Of physicians Is the Ameri-
can Climatological Association, which has
held Its eleventh annual meeting in the
parlor Of Wormley's Hotel. This associa.
ton has held it's election of officers for
the ensuing year. which resulted in the
choice Of the following: President Dr. s.
E. Solly. Colorado Springs: vice presidents
DR.. j. II. Musser, Philadelphia, and Dr. G.
K. Butler. Brooklyn; secretary and treas
urer. DIR. j. b. Walker. Philadelphia; coun-
Gil, Dr. A. L. Loomis, New York; Dr. F. L
Knight Boston; DR.. w. E. Forde, Utica
DIR. r. G. Curtin. Philadelphia, and DR.. i
H: Platt. Lakewood. N. ].
THE comparative rarity of phthiss In the
read as follows:
The comparative rarity of phthisis in the
highlands Of Pennsylvania and the adjacent
counties of New York." Dr. Guy Hinsdale.
Philadelphia; Meteorological data of Colo
rado," DIR. Samuel A. Fisk Denver: "Sensi-
bic temperatures Mr.. Mark w. Harring-
ton, chief Of weather bureau Washington;
"Beri-Beri." Dr. Judson Daland, Philadel-
phia; Some practical observations on So
called Malaria" DR.. Will DAILY Pittsburg;
''Shock in acute Diseases" DR.. John II.
Musser. Philadelphia; THE physical signs
OF cellular oedema of the lung considered in
their relation to the pathological changes -
DR.. w. Z. Glasgow. st. Louis.
Beri-Beri.
The paper of DR.. Judson Daland on
Beri-Beri was a description of three cases
Of this curious and infrequent disease,
which came under his observation at the
Philadelphia laxaretto. The three men
we're all sailors in a ship which was out
eighty-two days from Bombay They were
all Egyptians. though the crew of the ship
represented a half dozen nationalities from
all over the world. When the three men
| were admitted to the quarantine. hospital
they were in a very bad way, although they
oh x-<.d In, fba Zs,,tn
Of DR.. Daland the disease was one caused
entirely by the character Of the food the
men had on the ship. This consisted for the
most part of dried fish, with rice. and in
was decomposed. and this he found to be
the principle cause of the trouble. This, he
| thought. was proved by the fact that the
other sailors on board. representing other
he found on examination that the Egyp-
tiens were looked down upon by the other
Sailors both white and black. and were
compelled to eat the poorest food Of all.
When the men were in the hospital the
most striking characteristic Of their disease
was the changes that took place In their
powers of sensation. Occasionally a portion
Of their body would be anaesthetic and
one time 1t would be possible to run a needle
In the flesh without giving pain, while al
another time the patient could not stand
the slightest touch in these parts. DR..
sure that the cases were really those of
Beri-Beri, and he pointed out the similarity
of the disease to the fish poisoning which
has been noted along the coast Of Maine.
Beri-Beri, while 80 rare in this country is
by no means unusual In the east and is
more frequent probably, in Japan than
anywhere else The speaker expressed the
opinion that this disease may be more
common In this country than is generally
supposed and said that 1t might be rath-
er common among the colored people of the
south
Medical Director Gihou, however ex-
pressed himself as Satisfied that the cases
reported by DR.. Dhand were veritable
cases of Beri-Beri and he spoke of several
cases that had come under his notice in the
Marine Hospital at New York. The disease
broke out among the sailors on some Bra
Gillian men-of-war in New York harbor
Dried fish was Il large part of their rations
and Dr. Gihon said that he was satisfied
that the disease was one of mal-nutrition
All the patients that he had noted had re-
covered with wholesome and varied diet
The LnryngOlOxical Association.
AT the meeting OF the American Laryngo-
logical Association Yesterday officers were