The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-06
SPOKE 0F DOCTORS
President Gives Warm Praise
to Army Surgeons.
SAW THEM IN BATTLE
Sharing in Hardships as
Soldiers and Civilians.

" dS1l4hStoH, june a.--beIofe an assem-
blage that crowded the National theater
President Roosevelt today opened the
eleventh annual convention of the AS
ISOLATION of Military Surgeons of the
United States. On the stage with the
president sat Secretary Root, Secretary
Shaw, Secretary Moody, Secretary Cor
telyou, Surgeon General Sternberg of the
army, Surgeon General Rixey of the
navy, Surgeon General Wlman Of the
marine hospital service, President H. b.
Mcfarland of the board of commission
ers of the District Of Columbia, Right
Rev Satterlee bishop of the Washing.
ton diocese, of the Episcopal church. Pres
ident S. S. Adams of the medical soci-
ETY. of the District of Columbia and Ma
jor Geo. Henderson, surgeon general of
the National Guard of the District of
Columbia, and chairman of the commit
tee on arrangements. When the presi-
dent and party arrived the marine band
under Director Sentelman struck up
Hail to the Chief and the audience re-
sponded with vigorous applause. Bishop
Satterlee delivered the invocation and
DR.. Henderson introduced the president
who said:
Mr. President ladies and gentlemen:
am glad TO have the opportunity 10 bid
welcome to the members OF this associ-
alton and their friends today. The men
Of this association combine two profess
sions, each of which is rightfully held in
high honor by all capable of appreciat-
ing the real work of men-the profession
doctors Conditions in modern civiliza-
ton tend more and more TO make the
average life of the community one of
great softness, of great ease compared
to what has been the case in the past;
and, gentlemen, together with all the
advantages that have come from this
softening of life, this rendering it more
easy, there are certain attendant disad-
vantages. also. It is a very necessary
thing that there should be some profess
sions, some trades, where the same de-
mands are made as have been made in
the past upon the heroic qualities in
man, and these demandes are made alike
upon the soldier and upon the doctor;
and how much more upon these who are
both soldiers and doctors-upon the men
who have continually to face all the re-
sponsibilities and all the risks faced by
their brothers in the civilian branch of
the profession and who also in time of
war must face much the same risks. Of
ten exactly the same risks that are faced
by their brothers in arms whose training
is 10 kill and not to cure. (Applause)
1T has been my good fortune. gentle
men, to see your body at work in the
Geld ~ coo 4ho,,, n, y.-,-fro~ to x.-o,,,IoJ
and dying from the line, themselves as
much exposed to danger as those they
were rescuing. and to see them working
day and night in the field hospitals af-
terward when even the intensity of the
strain could hardly keep them awake.
so tagged out were they by having each
to do the work of ten. (Applause.)
Il welcome you here. I am glad to
have the chance of seeing you and wish
to say a word Of congratulation to you
upon this association. In all our mod
ern life we have found it absolutely in
dispensable to supplement the work of
the individual by the work of individu-
ais gathered into an association. With
out this work of the association you can
not give the highest expression to the
individual endeavor and It would be Il
great misfortune if the military members
Of the surgical and medical professions
did not take every advantage of their
opportunity in the same way that is Ia
ken by the members of the medical and
surgical professions who are not in the
army or navy or the marine hospital ser
vice. but who are in the civil life outside.
I am glad to see you gathered in this
association and just one word of warn
ing: Perfect yourselves as scientific men.
able to work with the best and most deli
cate apparatus. and never for one mo-
ment forget. especially the higher officers /
among you. taht in time OF need you will
have TO do your work with the scantiest
possible apparatus daughter and ap-
plausel and that then Your usefulness /
will be proportional, not upon the adj |
equacy of the complaint that you did not
have apparatus enough. but upon the
way YOU have done with what you have
loud applause. Remember that. and |