The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-05-29
DOCTORS IN CONVENTION
DISC USSION AS TO ADMITTING
MEMBERS.

Papers Read by Prominent Practitioner
Fractured Spines by DR.. w. j. Hawkes.
Roentsen Rays-Anti-Toxine Treatment
Physician as n Sanitarian.
At the morning session yesterday of
the Connecticut Medical society DR.. N.
e. Worden, secretary made the follow
ing report as to the membership as to
counties: Hartford, 1856; New Haven,
1888; New London, 40; Fairfield, lis;
Windham, SO; Litchfield, 49, Middlesex,
5S; total, COS. The largest gain had
been made in Litchfeld county.
When the question of admitting new
members came up the secretary re-
ported that he had left off the last three
applicants. This was done after he
had received an opinion from DR..
Charles e. Cross of Hartford.
The opinion was question of resi-
dence, and when the motion to admit
Dr. Buckley was made there was some
lively discussion. The applicant was
admitted, as was DR.. Dennis. The So
ciety did not act favorably on the ap-
plication of DR.. Chaplin. Many of the
members thought the society guilty of
inconsistency and SO expressed them
selves.
Committee on honorary membership
recommended the election to member
ship of Dr. T. Gaylord Thomas and Dr.
T. M. Prudden of New York, and DR..
w. w. Keene of Philadelphia. 1t nom
mated for next year Drs. William T..
Lusk, James w. Mclean and Lander
Carter Gray of New York
The paper read by Dr. w. A..
Hawkes. on the Fracture Of the Spine,
with Operations" was listened to with
much interest 1t was a description of
what had been done to relieve the suf-
fering of brakeman who had been
injured on May 70 and had, by the eff
fects of the operation performed, been
relieved of much Of the suffering and
was now doing well, proving the value
of the operation.
An interesting paper was that of j..
Francis Calef Of Middletown, on
How Should Testamentary Capacity
and Criminal Responsibility be de-
termined by Our Courts?" The paper
says that nothing has aroused more un-
just criticism of the medical profession
than this seeming conflict of opinions
of able physicians concerning the men,
} tai capacity of testator or the crimi-
, nal.
This seeming conflict was usually
made a real conflict by the attorneys
who desired to influence the jury. The
fault lies in the legal methods, not
with the medical profession. The rem
! edy was to enact legislation as would
| secure a thoroughly impartial and un-
J hampered study Of each case by COM
petent physicians.
DR.. Calef said that in criminal cases
there should be selected one physician
each by the prosecution, the defense
and the judge. This commission should
examine the prisoner together, hear the
evidence presented by both sides of the
. case touching the medico-legal ques-
tions and present to the jury verbally
their conclusion and answer hypothet-
ical questions submitted by the counsel
if necessary that the present mental
condition of the criminal should be de-
termined by commission it is more
necessary that his past condition should
be similarly determined.
AS to the decision concerning testa-
mentary capacity the same line of rea-
soningg applied with equal or greater
force. ''The recent spectacle of judge
, compelled to set aside the verdict Of the
jury in the Pond will case on the
grounds that the verdict was against
the evidence is sufficient commentary
on the inadequacy of our present laws,
! If statutes similar to those / have out
: lined had been in force, / venture to
5 predict that expensive travesty on JUS
tice would never have been enacted"
"The Roentgen Rays was the sub
) iect Of an interesting paper by Francis
5 N. Loomis. The doctor illustrated his
remarks by using the apparatus, pro-
: ducng the rays Several of the pho
tographs exhibited by the doctor were
taken the actual practice of the writer
of the paper. One was that of a bull
: let located in the leg of a patient eight
: inches below where 1t entered. Another
: was that of a needle located in the
! hand.
He described the electric current used
in producing these rays The paper
was followed by a general discussion
and questions were asked of the lee
turer Many of the physicians told OF
: how their efforts had been unsuccess-
full many times. They expressed much
hope from the discovery of Roentgen
THE Physician as Sanitarium" was
discussed by Ralph S. Goodwin OF
: Thomaston. He said in conclusion: "a
l medical course in practical hygiene
1 should embrace the following topics
I First, individual hygiene of clothing
l food, shelter, labor, exercise, rest
: cleanliness, sleep, recreation and the
! influences of climate, soil and water
upon the individual; second, infantile
: hygiene; third, school hygiene; fourth
, hygiene of cities, the disposal of sewer.
4 age, garbage and the pollution of wa.
ter supplies; fifth, hygiene of the farm
and rural life; sixth, hygiene of the
. factory and workship; seventh, hy.
l giene of army and navy; eighth, hy'
$ giene of hospitals and sanitary pro
: visions for large public buildings
= ninth, demography; tenth, contagiou!
4 diseases, their ethology and best meth
q DDS of quarantine and disinfection. L
physicians are to be leaders and pro
, | mulgators of sanitary science surel!
= they should be by education fully
$ equipped for their work. They should
= be instructed and educated on the sub
= ject during their medical course while
= their minds are receptive.
THE Use of Anti-tOXine in Private