Evening star., 1898-11-01
Decennial Celebration of the Medical
and Surgical sooiety.
SOME INTERESTING PAPERS READ
President 'Eliot's Brief Sketch Of
the Work Of the Organization.
RES sPONSES TO TOAsTs

The decennial of the Medical and Surgi-
cal Society of the District of Columbia was
celebrated last night by it's members by
largely attended meeting and banquet after
ward at the Ebbit House. The meeting
took place in che lecture room Of the
Georgetown Law School, and during it's ses-
sion a number of interesting papers were
read. DR.. Llewellyn Eliot, president of
the society, opened the exercises with an
address, during which he traced the early
history of the society. its struggles and
successes until it became one of the rank
ing old societies of the country. Member
ship in medical societies, he said, is an
absolute necessity for physicians, since
they serve to broaden his views by in
terchange of ideas and the fostering of
friendships. 1t is through such member
ship that sanitary and hygienic laws for
communities are encouraged. 1t is the doc
tor who demonstrates the source of pollu-
ton of the waite: supply and the charac-
ters of the different organisms, and 1t be-
comes his mission to correct the same.
Started With Six Members.
The society was formed October 30, 1855,
with six memberships. Eliot, Chamberlin,
Hazen. j. s. Harrison, Ober and George
Byrd Harrison. At that time there was a
field for a new society, especially one as
cussed in that spirit of justness and fair
ness which forms and cements friendships.
Members were at first admitted slowly, ana
only after d searching investigation. The
members of the society held nigh positions
in the medical bodies Of the country. and
left their impress of good work honestly
performed upon everything they under
took. DR.. Eliot referred to the high CHAR
acter of the papers presented at the meet
iEgs of the society. Many of them have
been widely copied both at home and
abroad. He called special attention and
asked individual assistance in the collective
investigation of disease as seen in the Dis
trict of Columbia. In this work every prac-
titioner can take his share, and while al
first it will entail little labor, the pleasure
and benefit to the Individual and to the
profession would more than repay for the
labor EXPENDED. Four hundred men work
ing together in this way would be able to
present an array of facts relating to the
morbidity and mortality of the District OF
Columbia which would refute many OF
the ISLANDERS upon our cities. Very many
facts are buried -betweeR the leaves of
physicians call book. very many facts
but family remembered by reason of care
lessy kept case books. Ur. Eliot then read
the roll of honor of the society, and men,
toned the names of those VINO met their
death in the discharge of duty.
other Papers Read.
DR.. Landoa B. Edwards of Richmond,
Va, discussed in an able paper the benefits
to community and fhe tpedical profession
from medical examnihg boards. DIR. w. w.
Johnston of this city read paper that was
considered the gem OF the evening. 1t was
an intelligent discussibn of the relation OF
health to education. The speaker iilustra-
ted his remarks with a number Of charts,
upon which he traced the development of
the brain. He did notbeieve in the present
system of compulsory education A child
should be carefully examined before being
sent to school. In -soHfe cases he knew
where the education was comm enced
early as four years. The development of
the body, he maintained, was CT equal i'm
portance with the development Of the brain.
DR.. George NJ. Kober read an interesting
paper on Higher Medical Education and
a Plea for Better Training of the Volun-
teer Medical Officer" He touched upon the
losses of the army in the with Spain,
and declared the surgeon general of the
army needed no defense from the hands of
his friends of the unjust attacks that had
been made upon him He presented statis-
tics to show that the losses in the recent
war had been less than during the same
period in the war of the rebellion, and said
that, when the results of six months of
war of the present DAY can he compared
with the first six months of the civil war,
he was confident that the work of the army
medical corps would be found above cr!ti-
cism. He thought that the medical colleges
should pay attention to the line of work
which would fit physicians for service in
case Of war. He spoke of the excellent
ingtOn for the study of medicine, and de-
clared that the many advantages were not
fully known to many members Of the pro-
fession. He said that it was wrong to send
students to Baltimore and Philadelphia to
study their profession upon the supposition
that better clinic and hospital facilities
were offered at those places. The students
should be kept at home. where the facili-
ties are equal to those of the other cities.
The Banquet.
After the adjournment at the law college
building the members Of the society and
their friends, TO the number of about fifty.
participated in banquet at the Ebbitt
House. After discussing an excellent menu
DR.. Eliot called the assemblage to order
and toasts were responded to by Drs. Stone,
Kelly, kober Edwards, Alden, Woodward,
Bishop, Massen and Morgan. Each speaker
was happily introduced by DR.. Eliot and
the addresses were above the average of
postprandial efforts DR.. Woodward who
spoke upon Public Health" was decidedly
interesting, and gave utterance to some
forceful and original views upon the SUBJ
1ect which he is daily dealing with as the
health officer Of the District.
The success of the celebration both as to
the intellectual and gastronomic results,
was due to committee of arrangements
composed of DrS Clifton Mayfe1d PresJev