Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-01


selves with the advances OF medical sci
ence, and TO unlearn those things which
have been found out to be false. before
they become fixed In your minds
DON'T FORGET THE BILL.
Having done the best for your patient
that conscientious labor and your skill
and ability can do. and having safely
guided him into the haven of restored
health or soothed his pathway 10 the
tomb, II Is your duty to yourself. your
family. and 10 the profession. to see that
YOU are justly compensated for the SER
vices you have rendered" sagely con-
tinued the President. Don't wait until
he has forgotten the details Of his i'll
ness, but at the end Of the month. IL in
the city, and at least every three months.
II In the country. render a just and true
| account charging a full fee for the SER
vice rendered. Never charge less than
| the regular fee. otherwise, the inference
that you estimate your services below the
| market price. because not worth the
| market price You are entitled TO as
high compensation for your services as
any other physician in the profession for
similar service. Collect your accounts
Just as every other businessman does.
| so YOU can pay as you go. The business
| man, indeed, the community at large,
viii not respect you unless you collect
| your bills. II negligent TO collect they
VIII justiy infer that you will be neGli-
| gent to pay your own debts. Your pro-
judged by your aptness TO accumulate
money IL you desire to lose your own
self-respect and that OF the community
In which you live, work for half-price,
| or for nothing.
AVOID OPIUM AND ALCOHOL.
"Our prisons. asylums, and homes are
! hlled with the victims Of the careless
| and indiscriminate use by the medical
| profession OF those twin demons, alco-
| mol and opium which, save In tuberculo-
| SIS, are doing more TO debase and destroy
| the human race than all the other dis
| eases together. / most earnestly beseech
| you, young men, who are just starting
| out in life, to stay your hand in the use
| OF these agents in your own persons,
| and in your daily work, and to beware
| Of the seductive needle and the cup that
| inebriates Make it an inyariable rule
never to prescribe alcohol nor one Of the
| solinaceous or narcotic drugs, II you can
| possibly avoid it. The use Of alcohol and
| opium debases the minds and morals OF
| its habitues. predisposes especially ~
! BrghtS disease and insan Y, and lays
| the foundation In the offspring for the
! majority Of the neuroses ana degenera-
! tons OF modern civilized life The
! physical fatigue of long working hours,
! loss Of sleep. mertal strain. worry, and
| hunger invite the tired physician, espe-
/ cially to their seductive use. To totally
| abstain from them is always business
/ and very often character, and even lie
| itself. / feel free 10 speak TO you on
| this subject very earnestly, my younger
! brothers. for having prescribed alcohol
| for over thirty years ! am familiar with
! its tendencies and its dangers
AVOID THE ARMY AND NAVY.
"I would particularly advise our bright
| cultured, ambitious young men against
| entering the service as army and naval
! surge Ons, where some of the brightest
! medical intellects Of our country are
! practically buried and whose spheres of
frr1F fal O. 0.
| What would the world not have lost II
/ those great SOutherners Simms ana the
elder Gross, and those great native VIZ
ginians, Mcdowell and Mettauer, Of a
| former generation, and Mcclure ana
| Price of this had been armed surgeons
| while eXulting i'm the fact that so far
| as high personal character, sclenthc AZ
| tainments. and heroism are concerned
| the surgeons Of our country are uneN-
| celed i'm the military establishments OF
| the world, there is a very gener... M
preston. in the public mind in which !
| have reason TO concur. that the pracilcdl
| knowledge of our younger army sur
| geOns is not equal to their scientiilc edu-
cation. I'm addition TO the admirable theO-
! retical instruction they receive at the
! military school at Washington, they
| should each be required. as a prerequisite
| to their first promotion, TO serve dally'
! for at least a year in addition to their
| other duties i'm some of the civil hospl-
! tails of our cities-siX months each IN the
! surgical and medical wards-in order 10
| learn the practical details Of their pro-
| fessiOn so as TO be fully prepared 20 90
an the operations that the most skillui
| civil surgeons can do before being as
! signed TO the active ana independent
| uractice as army and navy surgeons. The
| government is rich. and can well afford
| TO educate its surgeons in the highest art,
as well as the theory of their handicratt.
What has made the wonderful Or. Sem
perhaps the foremost general surgeon in
| lou "a world his vast experience
in civil hospitals, and his unceasinS en-
eTgy in private practice?'
BE GREAT DOCTORS
In conclusion the speaker said: young
men be great doctors. first; and when
you get old, if you desire, degenerate into
speciaiism, for the money that IS IN II.
If deem IL proper and justly their que,
to thank DR.. Edwards, recording secre-
tary: DR.. Styll, treasurer and Dr. Nlnn'
! corresponding secretary, for the in9ustry
and faithfuness with which they nave
performed their respective funcuons, ana
i'm this public manner / accord to them
all the credit for the prosperity OF our
society at this time
PAPER BY DIR. IRWIN.
The scientific portion Of the session was
then begun with a paper by Or. James >.
Irwin. of Danville, on diagnosis ana
| Treatment of Diphtheria." The discus
sion was opened by DR.. t. c. Levy, OF
Richmond. who was followed by Dr..
Henry II. Holton, of Brattleboro', Vt;
Drs. George Ross, W. 7. Oppenheimer'
NIacI.ean. Michaux, Chandler of Whining
ton. Del. and Kuyk. The last named con-
fined his remarks to the prevention OF
the disease. He said that the moving
recIlessly and incautiously into houses
that had contained diphtheria patients
should be prevented by regulations gov
erning either the board of health the
landlord or tenant until the premises had
been thoroughly disinfected.
| Papers were also read al the morning
session by Drs. f.. c. Levy on the ques-
ton. do Bacteria Produce DiseaseY'
and bv Dr. II. Stuart MacLean on
microscopic Diagnosis of Typhoid
Fever"
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
AT the afternoon session five physicians
! were admitted 10 membership, one or
whom was unsuccessfully opposed by a
| number of doctors from the town In
| which he practiced.
| Several papers were read at this ses-
! sion The first was on Bacteria OF
| Euteric CryphOiD Fever by Dr. Henry
| n Holton. Brattleboro'. Vt. He made
| The significant statement that liberation
| of the drinking water supply had con-
| tinuously brought down the death rate
| of typhoid from II 30 per 10000 re-
| duction Of 76 per centJS
| "Celular Therapy" was the subject Of
| ~ ,oror rood ~ Dr Mark ". HpXgpr.