The San Francisco call., 1897-01-30
Doc TORS LISTEN
To Mr., CLEVELAND
Felicitous Address at Their
Semi-Centennial Cele-
bration.
The President Says Some Wise
Things and at Times WAKES
Humorous.
Contr Physicians of To-Day With
Village Doctors of Fifty
Years Ago

|
centennial in Carnegie Hall. The exer-
cises consisted of addresses by DR.. Josep
d. Bryant, the president of the academy
and by Samuel S. Purple, M. D., and Louis
| A. Sayre Md, the founders OF the acad-
emy; an Grafton by A. jacob, the former
president of the academy, and an address
| by the President of the United States,
| Grover Cleveland.
The hall was crowded. From the or
chestra to the topmost gallery every seat
seemed filled, the boxes being brilliantly
| lighted.
"Hail to the Chief greeted the Presi-
dent as he entered the hall on the arm of
| DR.. Bryant, the audience rising out OF re-
| respect to the Nations Executive.
Bishop II. q. Potter dressed in the pur-
pie robes of the episcopate offered the
opening prayer.
/ President Bryant then made the open
| ing address of welcome. Mr.. Bryant ex-
planned that the objects of the academy
were at once the purpose OF fostering the
medical profession, to better the study of
medicine and the maintenance of good
medical library.
DR.. Purple, Dr.. Sayre and DR.. jacob
spoke on the aims and work of the acad-
emy.
Mr.. Cleveland was then introduced by
DR.. Bryant and spoke as follows:
| Mr.. President, ladies and gentlemen: have
| anticipated the share assigned to me on this
| occasion with considerable trepidation for
several reasons. am chiefly disturbed, be-
| lieve, because of my inability 10 discover suf-
| fcient ground for my right to join those who
| celebrate the semi-centennial OF medical
| association. II in passing through period in
boyhood when the desirable choice of a pro-
| fession seemed to rest between running away
| from home and being sailor and staying at
| home to be a doctor / inclined toward the
more quiet and orderly of these pursuits, this
surely furnishes NC basis at this late day for q
claim TO relationship to the medical fraternity.
Nor do forget that less Than seven years az
| / was accorded the privilege OF participating
| in the exercises when the cornerstone was laid
OF the building which is now the home OF the
| organization which tonight celebrates its
! halr century OF honorable existence. 1t has
| aroused an interest still undiminished in the
| academy OF medicine and hardly entities me
to share in the celeb bration of those who have
| borne the work while l have enjoyed the
| happy surroundings OF public station.
Confessing, therefore, that l have no right
| for even standing-room within the inner
| without the least authority determined to
| speak to you as represe entative of the vast
army of patients and laymen.. AZ the outset
desire TO remind you that though 1t IS
| largely in the majority and with plenty of
members to spare, those who are we'll
! conducted among US do not vex you with
| hard for you, by observance of the laws of
health, we assist You by indul ging in all sorts
| OF irregularities. We are obedient and sub
| missive TO your commandS-that is, when we
| are sick-and we sometimes pay your bills,
even after recovery to health-which we are
| always certain would have resulted without
! your in reference.
Under these circumstances, if in perfect
| health we venture to assert ourselves and tell
| you what is in our mind it is not fair to l1ken
| us to a certain parsonage who when sick q
| saint would be, though very differently in
| clined when we'll.
We begin by conceding most heartily and
| without the least reservation the learning and
| skill of those now constituting the medical
| profession and the wonderful advance that
has been made through their untiring labors
| and Investigations in the alleviatiOn of
| human suffering and the saving OF human
life.
It may be that this seems to you an acknowl-
| edgment SO much your due as TO be hardly
| worth making. You should, however, value
| it because 1t is sincerely made by those who
| were not born yesterday, but who hold in last
| ing and tender memory the ministrations of
the village doctor OF fifty years ago and are
| now living monuments OF his faithful care
He, too, allev1ated suffering and saved human
| life. We know that it was not given TO him
| to see the bright lights that now mark the
| path OF medicine and surgery, but you cannot
convince us that he groped entirely in the
dark.
| ever
ready lancet. We endure with complaceacy
the recollection of his awful med icine case
containing bottles, powders and pills. which,
whatever might be thought of them now
| seemed then 10 be sufficient for all emergen-
cies-to say nothing of the toothpulling tools
| and other breeding instruments ex-
posed to view.
| II he was ignorant of many of the remedies
| and appliances now in use, he in large meas
ure supplied the deficiency by hard-headed
Judgment, well-o bserved, experienced and
| IA Of idaa tuaa n nc for
| that he did not have to bother his head wi tn
many OF the newly invented and refined
diseases that afa. CT mankind to-day. He had
no allotted hours for his patients, but was al
| ways on duty, and we knew the sound of his
gig as 1t ratified past in the night.
Your ways are better than his, but we desire
| you TO regard this admission as all the more
valuable because 1t is carved out of our 10y
| atty 10 our old village doctor, who brought US
| through the diseases OF childhood without a
relapse, who saved from death our parents
and our brothers and our sisters in many a
| hard com hat, and who, yanquished and forced
| to surrender, was present in the last scene to
| close the eyes of his dying patient and SYM
| pathize with those who wept
| hasten to say that we do not for moment
| suppose that advancement in the science Of
medicine and surgery has smothered the
characterized the practitioner OF our young
| days. If we seek charitable acts toward the
suffering aud noble appreciation OF our obli-
| CATION to humanity and selt-abnegation in
| the discharge of professional duty, we must
look for them among our physicians and sur
| geons of to-day
We have now arrived at an understanding,
| and You are, hope. prepared tor suggestion
| quite In Keeping with the extremely moderate
| and reasonable disposition which Character
ICES the patient layman. You have invaded
| our benighted conten ment and led us to
] broad FL ds of scientific discovery. This has
/ inspired us with newborn spirit OF wisdom
and criticism which demands that new and
| .arger fields be opened TO our compacent
| gaze. You have penetrated the places where
] The germs OF disease are hidden, and we are
not quite certa in that you should not be re-
qulred TO destroy the origin OF disease and
| ultimately usher in the dawn, where the only
| escape from the world will be through q
| passageway marked ''old-age exit"
| II this has the appearance OF exacting too
mucn, or II business prevents, l think we
| should reduce our claims or at least give our
doctors time to find other employment. In
meantime those OF us VINO are conservative
4 must be allowed to hope that further 1nves ti-
CATION Will continue to noint the way 10 the
preve tion of disease. For this investigation
, we NUT still rely the effects OF those
| who have Already done so much in that direc-
| ton, ENCOURAGED and stimulated by such effec-
/ tive organizations as the Acad emy OF Medi-
| cine. We are sure that this work, having ar
rest d the attention of the worlds brother
hood II medical science, will not be neglected,
| nor need we lear that Americans contribu-
| uon to splendid results will be defc ent.
In some instances, however, investigation
| has performed its art. and only ffecive ac-
| tlon In other quarters is necessary 10 supply
needed remedies. In such cases, o course,
| you are absoived from all respons bility in
/ your professional character by exhibiting
| dangers and warnings against them. Thus
| certain diseases which you deem contagious
yet remain imperiectly isolated. You have