The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-07

IN the exercises, which consisted chiefly
Of the reading and discussing of pa
pers on medical topics.
President Walter r. Pike occupied
the chair, and there We're present Sec
rotary j. n. Harrison. First Vice Pres
ldent G. w. Perkins and many other
OF the officers of the society. Coy
ernor Wells was down on the pro-
gramme for an address of welcome.
but being absent from the city he sent
IN letter of regret, from which the
lolowing extract may be given:
GOVERNOR WELLS LETTER.
=, The glory Of God is intelligence" ana
the result Of your meeting cannot be
otner than 10 raise the standard OF excel
AeuSe OF the regular profession of the
stdie and thus benefit the afflicted Yours
- d poDle calling and should be iealOuslV
susnued from the incursion of any mis-
aPpAeauon OF Its true mission, which is
lo reeve the suffering Of Gods children
10 MINISTER 10 the needs OF those .ictea
WI dsease or injured by accident. and
y Fo>stbie. 20 restore them 10 normal
Meath and vigOr. For this purpose Won
nave expended your time and your
money equ-pptns yourselves for your
iLe work; for this purpose YOU have
2iEanlzed your society; for this purpose
laws have been passed in this state
which are ia line with those of other
states. providing for a board OF medical
examiners 20 pass upon the qualifications
% new ana unu1e1 physicians and TO eN-
clude the unskilled. the quack and the
Nretenuei Ihus the state extends TO the
people me strong arm Of its protection
lt cn1cts laws Intended to raise the
s-dhuard OF medical practice and prevent
the imposition upon the people OF hum
buss. IN doing this ii may be said the
law extends what may be terms inci-
dental protection to all legitimate prac-
lConers of the state; but The object Of
rae law, primarily, IS to protect the peo-
pie and not the profession. If ID NAV be
argued that the legitimate practitioner
snculd enjoy such protection as his
superior attachments entitle him to- the
answer IS that such superior attachments
render him Independent Of Quack COM
petition ana consequently. Independent Of
protection. So thai 1t is mr. opinion that
the regular profession is strong enough
&c protect itself. and the purpose of the
law is solely to protect The people /
nave confidence that such is the view also
OF your society and OF the board of medi-
cal examiners, and that in the conduct
OF their examinations they have an eve
single TO the exclusion from practice of
only the unskillcd and the unworthy If
~ Noul coming sessions the question of
any needed amendment to the existing
law or Of the enactment of other laws
should be discussed. am sure
veur deliberations win be Character
lied by disposition to keep this
main proposition in sight. ard your sug-
Eestions ii formulated on this line, viii
be recommended 10 the next legislature"
After the treasurer had rendered his
report some unfinished business requir-
ms early attention was disposed of.
PRESIDENT PIXIES ADDRESS.
President Walter r. Pike of Provo
then delivered his annual address to
the society. The address dealt largely
with that noble branch of medical sci
ence. Preventive Medicine. and the
duties Of medical men in regard to its
promotion.
The president said the meeting was
FOR the purpose of exchanging ideas
ard experiences for the promotion of
social and fraternal feelings toward
each other as members of the noblest
profession followed by man or woman,
10 strengthen the bond that should
unite the members. 10 cultivate among
the society a sincere desire for the
advancement of the profession. It is
and always has been, he said. the
glory of the members of the medical
profession that their allegiance is one
and undivided in the service of the
cause of truth and humanity. After
devoting some time to the marvellous
results of scientific investigation in thu
medical line. he came to the subject
and said in part:
Preventive medicine and sanitary
science are indiVisable-they proceed
together. hand in hand. ready to con-
all who viii accept their ministration
and obey their hehests. To the medi-
cal man there is no question as to the
necessity of obedience to sanitary sci-
ence and its requirements for the pres
ervation of life and health. but the
great masses of the people, from lack
of education upon these subjects. are
unfortunately. if not directly antago-
nistic to these requirements, at least
unable to appreciate the need for them.
Upon our profession devolves largely !
by patient, necessary work, to teach
and instruct the people as to the great
necessity to iuculcate the truths OF
preventive medicine and sanitary
science unzil every citizen shall oe able
u understand the vital necessity of
having due protection afforded him and
his family by the state against the
ravages Of preventable disease and
death.
THE question of how best to proceed |
to disseminate knowledge in regard to
The advancement of preventive med
icine and sanitary science is frought /
with difficulties: unfortunately ignor-
ance of these matters is not confined (
to the so-cailed uneducated masses. /
but there seems to be a wceful lack :
Of information on these subjects. to
say the least. among those who claim |
10 belong to the educated classes. Il /
should not be difficult to convince peo-
pie in the direction of their interests I
Vet how well we know that the best /
efforts of man toward the benefiting /
and ameliorating the condition of hui |
mainly have ever met with the bitter I
est opposition from those sought to be /
benefited. Still facts are presented to
the people today that cannot be con-
trovarted. and which % repudiSte I
would reject upon the intelligence and
the honesty of mankind.
GREAT PROGRESS MADE.
The speaker then quoted portion Of
Professor William Peppers address 10
the Pan-American congress, in which
he stated that the progress of prevent !
i've medicine had been greater in the
past twenty years than for twenty cen
turtles Drlor 10 that time, and points
to the successful combating of yell
low fever and CHOLERA. The gratifying
results attending the efforts made to ex-
clude cholera and yellow fever from
the country. the speaker said, should
be all the argument needed to insure
the adoption Of like measures against
all forms of contagiols diseases when
ever they may arise in state, county,
city or village. The efforts Of the men,
hers of the society should be TO pro-
cure legislation establishing a state
board Of health with equal powers and
prerogatives within its sphere with any
other department of the state govern
naent. Such a department, with organ
izations in every county and village,
he believed, would insure the mainten-
ance of such hygienic conditions that
would greatly lessen all outbreak Of
epidemic diseases, or confine it within
u -