Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-31
DOCTORS IN SESSION,
Annual Convention Of the Medi-
cal Society Of Virginia.
ADDRESS BY DR. H. {. JONES.
He Defends His Profession from Un-
just Criticisms.
TELLS WHY PHYSICIANS DIFFER
This Is the Case With All Cnllings
and Creates Beneficial Resuits-The
Proceedings mt Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, August 30
(Speclal)-The annual fall session Of the
State Medical Examining Board was be-
gun this morning, and the first questions
going up We're those on surgery. These
were followed by questions on hygiene
medical jurisprudence. and anatomy.
There are twenty applicants for licenses
to practice as against 1S0 at the session
held in Richmond last spring. Three OF
the applicants are negroes, one being from
Richmond. Three non-graduates are also
attempting to run the gauntlet.
or the members of the board there are
present nine regulars and two hOmoeo-
paths. There are nine applicants taking
the examination for the first time, eight
for the second time. two for the fourth
time, and one for the fifth.
FUTURE EXAMINATIONS.
The question as 10 the time of holding
the examinations in the future is an open
one, depending upon the State society
but whatever may be settled upon. the
summer examination will be held in Rich
mond and the winter one at some central
point
At $50 this evening the first night ses-
sion of the twenty-ninth annual conyen-
tion Of the Medical Society Of Virginia
was opened with divine invocation, after
which a magnificent address was delivered
by DR.. IT. f. Jones. Of Roanoke.
IAr Y,roo ,,raprooI that ba Bod ca1aaf-
ed as his theme two or more subjects,
that would, he hoped, be OF interest to
all PRESENT.. e., the means of medical
advancement. analogous to the advance
ment Of civilization In not being depend
ent upon any one generation, nor upon
any one or two distinguished lights of any
particular age or generation. hints OF
present and future; a difference Of COM
mon criticism by the public.
lie began with a brief sketch Of man
In his most primitive stages, asserting
that even then he was by far the superior
Of other animals, and traced his gradual
progress to his present civilization.
WE ARE BEING UPLIFTED.
"All Of the progressive and varied forces
Of civilization continue" said the speak
er. 'to uplift the individual, and through
the individual, the society, city, State,
nation. the world. Though we are dis
satisfied with past and present knowl-
edge, yet our present high standing is
not depen lent upon any one generation.
nor upon any one or two distinguished
lights Of any particular age. or genera
tion. but upon the accomplishment and
achievements of each and every genera
ton and age back Of us, which serves
as a foundation for the superstructure
Of the present and future. which have
and will continue to have, difficult
heights 10 overcome I'm this onward
march toward Advancement. and each
succeeding summit will be higher than
the last, and the ascent will be- accom-
plished with celebrity and swiftness Of
the spring OF a tigress In pursuit of its
prey. and with the irresistible force Of
an onrushing avalanche down the steep
decline Of mountain side.
WITH MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE
Just as mankind in the beginning was
without knowledge of civilization. which
had to be acquired by his experience in
the struggle for existence. ga II was with
out medical knowledge which had TO be
acquired i'm the same way. Therefore.
you can well imagine that the beginning
Of our science was crude indeed, especial
ly before the time Of mans ability to
transmit knowledge by means OF printed
matter. 1t Is an historical fact that the
medical knowledge Of the ancient Egyp-
tian, as ascertained from their nOsOlOgy
was but little more than the knowledge
of old women i'm such matters i'm all ages.
II is also known that for many centuries
up TO "a comparatively recent time medi-
cal knowledge consisted largely OF sys-
TENS made upon theories instead Of facts.
IL was but an empiric art, and remained
SO up 10 The time OF the discovery or the
circulation Of the blood dn the beginning
of the seventeenth century,, which ldld
The foundation of scientific medicine TO
be subsequently based upon facts instead
Of theories With this discovery the diff
ferent fundamental ana primary branches
Of our art began 20 loom mp i'm the dis
tance."
ADVANCES IN SURGERY
He then traced the origin Of the various
branches Of medicine. dwelling with en-
phasis on the strides In surgery since the
discovery of anesthetics and antiseptcs,
before which time people almost prefer
red death TO an operation beneath the
scalpel.
"kmericans have always had especial
ly i'm surgery very practical turn ln the
application of new ideas. In laboratory
work the Germans are. perhaps. IN ad-
vance OF us. This - due 70 the support
they derive from the government. In
America we are dependent-entlrely too
dependent-on private laboratories. Our
Investigators have to hustle Tor bread
and butter while making their researches.
I'm Germany they are provided with In
comes by government grants. so tnat they
may devote the whole OF their time, Tree
from the hdrrdSelnS necessity bl lpohlhb
out from day to day for the support OF
their families and themselves
WE SHOULD INITIATE GERMANY.
"If this government ard all other civil
ized nations OF the world, We're 10 aGOpt
Germanys plan OF giving support 10 in
vestigatiOn and furnishing equipment and
means for investigation, millions of lives
would be annually saved that are not
saved and the already rapid strides Of
tbls important art would be increased
tanfold and 10 that extent man would
he additionally benefited and the value
- the world would be incalculabe
Medicine which has traversed through
many centuries OF speculation, has in
the last half century gotten on the right
rack and is now able 10 discover the
cause of disease. and In many instances,
Inv the scientific application OF recent
Knowledge, Is capable OF removing the
cause and preventing its destructive ef-
fects When We remember that II was
once the general belief By both the pro-
fessionai and lay classes that d0ctoring
was nothing more than administering
Grucs we can at least feebly appreciate
lis rapid advancement along with the
other divisions OF the art, ana the adj
vancement OF all other scientific
branches known to civilized man
AN ANSWER TO CRITICS
Referring to criticisms OF bis profession,
the speaker said: .,-.,.
zone OF the most common questions ASK
"a ~ - laymau and professional classes