The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-17
Hold Two Day Sessions Closing
With Exercises al Jefferson
ANNUAL GRAFTON DELIVERED
Reception rendered Afterwards at the
Hillman-Doctors to Be Guests
of County Medical Society
This Afternoon.

In reading and discussing learned pa
pers, attending luncheons and receptions,
listening to brilliant oratory. and reveling
in the charms of a society reception at
the Hillman Hotel, the doctors spent yes
terday in a delightful and instructive
manner. Three sessions of the associa-
ton were held during the day, the first
at o'clock. the second at 3 o'clock and
the last at o'clock.
During the day many of the visiting
physicians visited st. yincents Hospital
and the private infirmaries in the city.
Today the association will meet at 9
o'clock for a session which will last until
1 o'clock. Immediately after the adjourn
ment the visitors will be the guests of the
Jefferson County Medical Society at a
luncheon to be served at the Country
Club. An evening session will be held. be-
ginning at o'clock.
Meeting at Jefferson.
The Jefferson was comfortably filed
last night when the night session was
opened. The historians address was read
by Dr. S. w. WEIGH of Alpine. 1t was
followed by the Monitors address by DR..
Jacob Higgins of Eewberne. The annual
grafton by DIR. E. B. Ward of Selma fol-
lowed.
On the stage were former presidents of
the association and the present officers,
including DIR. E. L. Marechal. Dr. Ket-
chum, Dr. Franklin, DR.. ]. C. LeGrande,
Dr. Moody, DR.. T. L. Robinson, DR.. w.
H. Sanders, DIR. Pride and DR.. Waller.
~.
follows:
Man, physically and morally, is in a
state of degeneracy or deprivation. The
instinct to regain his former paradise of
health, happiness and dominion, which he
has forfeited, is the hidden impulse that
inspires all his activity. The mode of
alternating from and averting death was
one of the first subjects of his inquiry.
The complicated machinery of life at
tracted his earnest attention and to dis
cover its laws and processes all nature
has been Intercepted and required to
yield up It's secrets. The day of creative
miracle, when mind and matter were
united in the bonds of strange wedlock
revealed to his intellect a mysterious
problem, which 1t is probable, no finite
mind can ever thoroughly understand.
Although thwarted in discovering this
principle. mans enterprise has not been
extinguished but only transferred to OBJ
serving vitality in all its various mani
festations. He has looked into that won
derful laboratory where chemical action
prepares the material of organized struct-
ures and where vital force creates from
these materials, corpuscles, cells, blood
tissue, and organs, forming that crown
ing piece of mechanism, the human body.
Wonderful Problem.
This wonderful problem stands con-
fronting us. The mysterious analogisms
of its perplexing phenomena fills us with
awe and inspires us with wonder and
admiration. The mysterious mechanism
which propels the machinery. the occult
and wonderful motive powers which give
action to our bodies and inspiration to
life, II permitted to run on continuously
without an intermission for rest will,
sooner or later, become clogged and cease
to move so smoothly. 1t matters not how
nicely adjusted are the bearings, the
constant friction must be relieved, the
great tension must be relaxed in order
to produce a perfect harmony of mo-
ton. Rest alternates with work in all
vital phenomena. The great architect
ordained that all things should rest. At
ter His wonderful task of creation, it is
recorded that He rested from His labors
He made the day in which man can full
fill all the ambitions of life. He also
made the night to follow the day in which
all things could rest. Nature in silence
bids repose' He made the frightening
shadows to creep athwart the earth, the
lowing herds to lie down beside the still
waters, the chirping birds to gather their
heads beneath their wings to rest. Even
the flowers that paint the landscape in
varied tints and spread their aroma
upon the balmy silent air, lifting their
petals wet with morning dew to be kissed
by the first rays of the rising sun, with
wheels yet how ring DER the oceans brim,
fold their petals and sleep.
Mysterious Phenomenon.
What, then, is this mysterious phe-
nomenon which brings rest to the tired
body and oblivion to the senses? This d.
vine agent, sweet wanderer of the
night, that Gains the storm-swept mind
and soothes humanity's woes? Were 1 to
personify sleep l would designate her as
an angel with silent voice and noiseless
tread, ministering alike to high and low.
rich and poor. She is the minister of
universal blessing. Silence is her BAN
quoting hall, hung with pictures of en-
chanting beauty that mock the brush of
a Raphael. The cause of sleep has never
been clearly explained. Various theories
have been advanced, but the real prob
lem has never been satisfactorily solved
The eye of science has searched in vain
to penetrate the veil which conceals this
secret, those gossamer f1laments still OBJ
scure to a certain extent, a perfect un-
derstanding of this wonderful agent.
Psychologists say: Sleep is a normal
condition of the body, occurring periodi-
cally, in which there Is greater or less