The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-24
R. |. MEDICO-
LEGAL
SOCIETY
Annual Meeting Of Senators
and Lawyers at Fields Point
With Interesting Discussions

There was a representative gathering of
the physicians and lawyers OF the stale,
comprising the Rhode Island Medico Le-
gal society at Fields Point yesterday ar
ternoon for the annual election OF officers
and such business as would come before
the yearly meeting
The meeting was called to order about
$50 D. m. by the president. Dr. George r.
Keene. who is superintendent OF the state
Hospital for the Insane. After the report
OF the secretary treasurer, Or. Harry w.
kimball. the chairman appointed a noml-
mating committee, comprising Or: French,
DR.. Allison and DR.. McCoII, retired, ana
soon reported the following candidates:
dent. r. II. Lincoln; secretary and treas.
urer. DR.. Harry Kimoail; censors, DR..
Jay Perkins, Providenoe DR.. John win,
sor KINGSTON; DR. J. Howard ,sIots; Morgan nd 0i
DIR. Henry Ecroyd of Newport.
These were unanimously accepted and
elected and following Eugene Il. Lincoln,
coroner of Providence. read an interesting
paper on The Origin and Significance or
the Judicial Oath" The paper was a
comprehensive one and gave the history
of the many forms OF taking oaths ana
the substitutes used at various times
He cited many interesting cases which
had come under his observation. and
where the oath had been operated as
bar to Justice. When the witness swears
to tell the whole truth and nothing but
the truth" he is turned over TO the lawyer
and has to face an entirely new set of
conditions. which often. ne said. operate
to prevent the witness from telling all he
knows for Ii is well known that for
witness to volunteer testimony Is not at
all i'm keeping with the usual practice:
Speaking OF regard which people have
for an oath he stated that familiaIity and
constant repetition often causes witnesses
and court officials alike 70 lose their rev
erence for the solemn oath, and that per-
jury very often resulted. The manner in
which the oath is administered by the
clerk whose constant repetition of the
words make Il TO him a mere formula.
communicates the idea 10 the witness
that the taking of * is only matter OF
custom. and so the evil grows.
He concluded stating In effect that
though the system In use is far from be-
ing perfect Il is the best available
general discussion ensued and Judge Bliss
told OF the manner In which the bench re-
CARDS the testimony OF witnesses He
said that when severel witnesses tell
story with slight variations Il Is usually
safe TO suppose they are telling the truth
but when all tell exactly the same story
and every detail beautifully comedies. II
looks as ~ the matter was fixed and that
someone was lying He asked II any one
knew Of person who had served time
for perjury, he said he did not, for the
only man he knew OF that was convict
ed. was released through technical faw
In the Indictment.
Others entered the discussion and many
"reminiscences OF the courts were given.
including some by the retiring president,
Or Keenc.
paper Of unusual interest was read BY
George Farwell. ESQ. on 'Practicins
medicine and surgery-What?" and after
giving a brief history Of the manper In
which the two branches were regarded
spoke OF the definition according 10 die
tionaries and 20 the laws OF various
states
According 20 the examples very little
progress had been made I'm defining the
practice Of medicine though frequent at
tempts have been made 20 pass laws re-
stricting the Christian Scientists from
practicing lie said also that some states
had gone so far that the law would pre-
vent man saving n person from drown
ing and making u criminal for a minister
% save souls
lie referred % the wag's dstich on
medicine as practiced by DR. Isaac let
som of London In olden times: 81
purges; blecds: 7 swests en-.
~ repeats: They dies
'T I.ETsoM"
Mr.. Farneil answered the question ask
"a by HE subject. I'm the last paragraph.
saving "as is the state 80 shall the an
swer be" Because OF the lateness Of the
hour the subject was not discussed but u
will be taken M later
a vote ~ thanks and appreciation was
expressed ~ Dr Keene for his work IN
building up the society while he was
president
ono of Col Atwelrs famous dinners
was enjoyed BY the party and the mem
eers took the o'clock boat for Provi-
dence