Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-02
DOCTORS IN CONVENTION
Meeting of the Missouri Valley Homeo.
pathic Medical Association.
PRESIDENT RUNNELS' ANNUAL ADDRESS
Gives His Brethren Some Advice and
Take Occasion to Express His
Mind Conccrning the prac-
tiCc of Medicine.

ticc of Medicine.
The third annual session of the Missouri
Valley Homeopathic Medical association
convened in Myrtle hall in the Continental
block yesterday morning and will continue
in convention until Thursday evening of
this week.
The attendance at the opening session
was rather small owing to the fact that
the majority of the members were not eN-
pected to arrive until the morning trains
reached the city. The addresses of welcome
we're therefore deferred until the afternoon
session and the meeting proceeded at once
to the dispatch Of preliminary routine bust
ness.
President Moses T. Runnels, NJ. D., of
Kansas city occupied the chair and Sec
rotary w. A. Humphrey, ". D., of Platts-
mouth, Neb.. was at his post.
The session was opened with prayer by
Rev. S. b. Mccormick of the First Pres
byterian church, Omaha.
The bylaws of the association were
amended by the adoption of an amendment
offered at the last meeting. which created
the office of recording secretary and pre-
scribed his duties. Or. j. +. Mann Of
! Omaha was elected temporary recording sec
rotary. pending the regular election of OIL
Gers. which occurs Thursday afternoon.
An official seal was adopted, following a
design offered by the secretary,
The president appointed as az auditing
committee. Drs. Morley and Quimby If
Omaha and DR.. Finney of Lincoln.
When the association convened yesterday
afternoon DR.. Foote, chairman of the local
committee, took the chair and called upon
Mayor Broatch to address the convention.
The mayor assured the visitors that the
city was theirs and he told them to enjoy
themselves to the fullest extent and, II they
got into any trouble, TO call on him and
he would protect them. He also reminded
them that an exposition would be held in
Omaha in 1893 which would be second t.
none, except the great Worlds fair. lie
invited all the visitors to come to Omaha
on that occasion.
Following the mayors address T. J. Kelley
sang a love ditty with piano accompani-
ment by Miss Daisy Higgins. In response
to an encore Mr., Kelley sang a topical song,
containing several hits at the profession,
which were laughingly received.
DR.. Foote then extended a welcome to
the visitors on behalf of the local embers
of the association.
PRESIDENT RUNNELS TALKS
President Runnels replied to the addresses
Of Mayor BrOatch and DIR. Foote in a happy
strain, thanking them for their kind wishes
and assuring the citizens of Omaha that
the visitors appreciated the very extensive
a. W ~ hau bNti maui lUI
their entertainment.
The address of the president was the next
thing on the program. The subject Of the
address was Some Obstruction to Medical
Progress" The president spoke in sub
stance as follows:
THE great question of the day is money.
The ancients were troubled about it. but
the moderns have actually driven them
selves to madness in their effort to obtain
and keep it. The physicians and surgeons
of thig pnlntrv are nnNprfn1lV nfTan4DI nv
money. like the rest of mankind. In order
to make the best preparation for his life
work the young man who enters the medi-
cal profession discovers that he must have
money and is tempted to take Jonson's ad-
vice.:
Get money; still, get money, boy,
No matter by what means.
1.-THE everlasting Scramble for wealth and
place is a very serious obstruction to medi-
cal progress. The practice of medicine is
not regarded, now, by educated people as
anything more than a trade. and the title
Of doctor is not necessarily a passport
to the best society.
a rule, doctors are not progressive;
they cultivate an attractive presence, en-
gaging banners and invite a devoted and
enthusiastic following. II the cathode ray
could be turned upon the popular physician
the disclosure would reveal a large, sym
pathetic nature, filled with goodness, but
streaked with selishness, 1t seems that
everything except the science of medicine
contributes to the greater part of his sue
cess. Personality, tact and money, not
medical ability or originality, are the great
est factors in the advancement of many
medical practitioners.
THE highest compliment that can be
paid to men is that they work for their
race. The greatest obstruction to medical
progress is the failure of many physicians
to see the educational and philanthropic
privileges which come to them and i'm
prove them.
SCORES HIS ASSOCIATES.
at is a notorious fact that in this country
the average literary standing of the men
and women who have taken up the study
of medicine has been extremely low. 1t has
been possible for any one who would read
a little, write a little and cypher a little, to
graduate after a course OF two or three
terms at scme poorly manned medical col
lege and become a legal practitioner of med
icine. A large per cent of the graduates
of medicine from American medical colleges
are ignorent Of the English and all other
languages, and practically know very little
about medicine and surgery. 1t is an insult
to well educated physicians and surgeons
to be asked to recognize such legal practi-
TONERS of medicine as worthy representa-
tives of the medical profession. The major
ity of men and women who are practicing
medicine today are fully satisfied to keep
soul and body together, They never try to
advance the medical profession. They are
distractions to medical progress
al over Europe the title of American
doctor is a synonym Of incompetency, II
should be impossible for another medical
college to be added to the list of poor in
stitutions now in existence. This free coun-
try is cursed with medical colleges which
are poorly equipped.
zone of the great problems of the day is
how to prevent incompetent persons from
bringing into disrepute the divine art of
healing. The need of the day is not only
better educated and more skillful physi-
clans, but more truthfulness. honesty and
fidelity to principle in the profession.
within the present century great pro-
gress has been made in medicine. The most
important discovery that has ever been made