The record-union., 1895-04-18
JEALOUSY AMONG TIE PHYSICIANS.
Dr. u |, Simmons Lecture to Mem
bers of the Profession.
His Opening Address at the Session OF
the State Medical Society
on Tuesday.

The State Medical Society is in session
In San Francisco. presided over by DR.. G.
l.. Simmons of this city, its President. In
his annual address on Tuesday DR.. Sim
mons said:
I'VE are heterogeneous mass, an army
of incom patibles. No other country in
Jhe world is supplied with physicians so
diverse i'll character. We have all the
peculiarities of all the schools in the
world, coupled with all the peculiarities
of all the nations of the world. The ply
sicians of California know less of one an
other than the physicians of any other
land, and they care less for one another.
There is no fraternity. Every man is for
himself, and thinks the best way to raise
himself is by treading down others. With
such an arrangement, how necessary is
the first clause in our constitution, which
says that our objects are to encourage
the unity and harmony of the profession
throughout the State
'Since the first decade, in some sections
OF our State, the value of an organized
profession has been recognized and main
tanned, but In others many practitioners
stand aloof from association and do not
see, as stated by ex-President Kenyon,
the power of combined effort TO elevate
the profession and to maintain its influ-
ence. How to reach this class that adds
30 little to the sum of medical knowledge
1s an important question. In my judg-
ment, much could be accomplished by
this society's lending its influence to the
formation OF small district societies. This
could be accomplished in the same way as
has been done by the organizers of frater-
nal and benefit societies.
''As practical method in an endeayor
20 add to our numbers and to increase
our associated influence, L respectfully
recommend the appointment of an officer,
whose duty it should be to visit certain
sections of the State and perform the
initial work in this field of pioneer isola-
tion and degrading jealousness. Let us
so act that the close of this century,
tfaught with the grandest discoveries in
medicine and surgery. may SEQ US
united profession and in close fellowship
with our fellows throughout the world in
the saving of human life and the relief of
human suffering.
''At no time in the history of medical
science have societies like this assemblies
under greater pressure of public inter-
est in the determination of a question of
scientific nature. Ready as our
profession always has been to examine
the claims Of any new agent in the treat
ment OF disease, adopting from any
source all means which may possibly
inure to the benefit of the lives of those
intrusted TO our charge, mayswe not also
in the case OF the new theory with the
State aid for the distribution of anti
toxine), prove all things and hold fast to
that which is good
When it is considered that the length of
time and expense attending good medi-
cal education have been nearly doubled
during the last twenty years, is it not de-
plorable that the incomes of majority
of physicians have been reduced to such
an extent that many are in an impecuni-
Gus position and find it difficult under
modern demands to balance their receipts
and expenditures On all sides
the services OF medical men are under
rated, and courts, corporations and bene-
ficiary societies appear to combine to re-
duce our compensation. If
medical organizations do not adopt some
means TO remedy this evil, the profession
as a whole deserves to be kept in poverty
and to feel the pangs of leaving unpro-
yided loved ones.
Typhoid increases in proportion to the
saturation OF the soil with decomposing
organic matter and decreases in proper
ton as a city is well severed and uses
only pure drinking water. My object in
referring to this particular subject is to
emphasize the effort to discuss questions
relating to preventive medicine be-