The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-15
THE DOCTORS.
Proceedings of the Second Day of the Med
ical Convention.

1caI Convention.
The morning session of the Maine Med
ical Society was called to order at 10
o'clock yesterday.
After the transaction of routine bust
ness Dr.W. P. Giddings of Gardiner read
PAPER ON "The Surgical demands of
country practice" The report of the
visitors to the Maine Insane Hospital
was read and accepted, and it's recon-
mendation adopted, and the visitors to
be appointed this year We're made COM
mlttee of conference as recommended.
The report deprecates the crowded con-
dition of the hospital, and upon the
subject of contagious diseases makes
some statements which are of interest in
view of recent events in the neighboring
town of Yarmouth. 1t says: The at
tentlon of the association has been
called before to the crowded condition
OF the hospital an d it's disadvantages
lnsthe care of the insane All well know
the difficulties of early diagnosis of
contagious disease in this class of pa
tients. In quite large propol ton of
cases of diphtheria which have occurred
there during the past few years, no at
tention was called by the patient to his
or her illness, and in manyg cases the
disease was so far advanced when discov-
cred as to render the treatment almost
useless. Nearly all of the cases of
diphtheria in the hospital, including the
two recent ones, have been limited to
one building. That was constructed
only about two years ago and is modern
in all of it's appointments. We carefully
inspected it from the cellar upwards,
and the superintendent said it was per-
feet SO far as any one could make it.
With the present accommodations the
number of patients ought not to exceed
500 or $50; at present the number is
about 702. The total mum Der of inhabi-
tants, including attendants, nurses and
medical officers, is nearly 1000.
1t was recommended that some provis-
ion be made for the yearly appointments
of two graduates of the Medical School
of Maine as resident internes, who may
thereby get valuable instruction in the
treatment of mental diseases, and con-
ference by committee with the president
of the board of trustees was advised.
The committee on PRESIDENTS address
recommended its reference to the COM
mittee on publication.
The following were elected members:
Drs. F.C. Hall of Round Pond, LID.
Rand of Fairfield, H. H. Sellers of Ban
gor, &C. O'Brion of Groveton, NH,
H. M. Nickerson of Portland, and Ell.
Judkins of Friendship.
Following adjournment at IL O'Clock,
a large number of mbers attended
surgical clinic at the Maine General
Hospital. where opportunity was given
to witness the practical application of
antiseptic methods and modern surgical
dressings.
The association met at 8 O'Clock. DIR.
M. V. B. Durham of Greenfield Hill was
introduced as a delegate from the Con-
necticut State Medical Society. who res
ponded for his society.
Professor F. G. Robinson, of Bow
doinCollege. read paper on the "Chem-
istry of Decomposition" The thanks of
the association were voted Professor
Robinson, and copy of his paper re-
quested for publication.
The following officers for the ensuing
year were elected:
President-W. P. Giddings of Gardiner.
First Vice Presidential. Young of
Augusta.
Second Vice President-C. D. Hill of
Bethel.
Corresponding Secretary-J. E. Walker
of Ihomaston.
Board of Censors-CharlesA A. Ring OF
Portland, F. ]. Robinson of Fairfield.
James S. Sturtevant of Dixfield, E, B.
Ferguson of Deer Isle, j. o. McCorrison
of North Berwick.
Publication Committee Recording
Secretary lex officio), W. L. Dana Of
Portland, W. B. Sewall of Lewiston, A.
E. Murch of Cum berland Mills, Alfred
Hitchcock of Pennington.
Business Committee-W. B. Moulton
of Portland, Addison S. Thayer of Port
land.
DR.. F. H. Gerrish of Portland intro
duced resolution urging the members
of Congress from Maine to give their
support to bill increasing the appropri-
alton for the maintenance of the library
of the Surgeon Generals off ce from
$1,000 to $4,000. The resolution was I'M
animously adopted.
Dr.J. B. ONeil of Portland read pa
per on "Symphyseotomy, with report of
case.n
DR.. S. c. Gordon of Portland reported
a case of "Caesarsm Teetion," and one
of operation for "Extra Uterine Pregnan
cy."
Dr.W. K. Cakes of Auburn reported
series of cases of abdominal sectionA
The president appointed a commit
tee on revision of the. bylaws and code
of ethics to report next year.
The association met at 80 O'Clock, and
the entire evening was devoted to the
annual Grafton by DR.. Henry II. Smith of
Machias, on the "The relatio of the indi-
vidual practitioner to preventive medi-
cine and sanitation. The address pointed
e.. IL L