The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-16
VIRGINIA
DOCTORS;
Thirty.fourth Annual Session
IN Roanoke.
.RlCHMONDERS WELCOMED
Speeches Of Or, j Ohm n. Opshur' Pres
ident, and Dr.. Christian, Veteran
Physician Of Urbanna We're
Features Of the Day.
49,. r., ,,,os .1,,snntch.,

fsncc,oI to The rimcs-D ispatcho
ROANOKE, VA, Sept. 16.-The thirty
fonrth annual session of the Medical 30.
c,otv of virginia met here tonight. and
,nna called to order BY tho president ~ =
+ N. Upshur, OF Richmond. AZ.
A fter divine invocation by tho ltcv. MI NJ, {
~. ri. Milton, tho convention WIS 800, ~
ally welcomed to Roanoke by It's Muyoi'
Hon. j. IL. Cutchnst !.
( yeritablo gem was the welcome e1-
tended BY DR.. Merwn Rranch on tno
rnrt of tho local profession. Dr. Brahch
| is a young physician, native OF t.iI'..
mond, where his relatives reslde. anu q
graduate of the University Colleeo VI
Medicine. ,,,ae
| Following the address OF weic ss ~, ~
the local profession, Or. Wliil'lhl ~ ~ $50 n
the public and profession. Tumultuous
nnn1a,se greeted his address. which was
| deiivored with tho fervor Of youth. Dr.
| Christian Is seventy7two years OF ase;
| and for ffty-two years no mas 1ollo"eu
"the career Of q plain, .dmpe, evory.a aa >,
country doctor. rn.S 49,,
| n sunshine and rain. in light and dark
ncss, in summers heat and winters colo;
| f,fty-two years Of failure and success, u
sadness, and 1oy" Flo took as his text
| the profession and the public the re!a :
| tons that these two classes sustain 10
On 81 other: the responsibilities OF one ana
the demands, of the other; the WORK ana
achievements OF the one and the nene-
1 island blessings received by the other.
He said that he must not be understood
ms speaking egotstically; that for nm
| sell he had nothing to hope or expect
because by the inexorabe laws OF nature
his ca reer as n doctor was well nlgh run
| The commencement of his practice ante
| dat ted most of the great advances, aus
coverles and achievements OF nea,c'ne,
and It nearly antedated anesthesa IN
/ surgery.
| AS the basis of his remarks. he pro-
pounded the following: !. Happiness IS
| tho chief desire of the human family.&2.
The greatest foes to human happiness are
/ disease and death. 3. The medical pro-
i fession, and its natural allies, is the only
organized force now warning aealns,
I these i'm lacable foes, of human peace and
| human happiness. DIR. Christian then en-
| tered into a brief discussion OF these pro-
posltlonss and among other things, asked,
| after quoting the apostrophe to death IN
marco I3ozzarris,' who accepts the
gauge OF bnttl, thrown down by the mon
ster? The doctor, often single and alone.
and with Mcclure, the old Scotch doctor.
We can say:r'I will have a sare wrastle
! with death the night. And this battle
| is often fought in the sacred precincts.
/ in the HOLES of HOLES, the bedchamber OF
the home. ,sa
THE 3F>ATALIsTS.
The doctor said that many who were
i fatal!sts were lmbued with the idea that
4 physicians did not save life; that man
I could not die TIL his time came, but,tihe
said there are thousands and scores of
I thousands in this State now, who are the
living trophies Of the victories that have
been won over death '.'Ah, yes, my coun-
trymen. you have your parish registers
and family Bibles In which are recorded
the births and deaths of your household,
but You have no record OF the lives saved
BY the patient. tireless doctor"
\ DR.. Christian claimed that the Medical
Society Of Virginia was the equal in every
E respect OF any body Of men that moet
in this State for any purpose, and the
. American Medical Association was equal
In Intellectual power to the Congress OF
the United States; and the great subject
upon which NIL these minds was concen-
trated was the discovery OF further means
for the cure and prevention OF disease.
thus to tighten the woe and lncrense the
, happiness of teh human family. He had
not the time to detail what already had
been done, but many of those frlghtfu
maladies that were terror, have bee,
: shorn Of their power and chained under
!, the control of the health officers But
strange to say, the most difficult task
these health officers have before them Is
to get the cooperation Of the people
in work that is solely for their good
: NIGGARDLY STATE AID.
Year by year they have appealed to your
! constituted authorities, but your Legisla.
ture has doled out. reluctantly and hlg:.
: gardly a few paltry dollars. when It Ii
we'll known that every dollar spent lr
this way, means thousands and some
times tens Of thousands saved to the
D people, besides mass of misery and SUI
fering that would be appalling could i
be seen. H'
a Our fair land Is beloved with the
graves OF those who died from a reckless
! violation OF tho plalnest laws OF health
: and left behind them a train OF sorrow
Il and mourning that is sad to behold. Blu
s the work still goes on; the marvels @
T. triumph that have been effected by sur
s gerry would have been called miracles
. years ago, and some of these distinguish
!. ed gentlemen before me would few cen
turtles ago, either have been burned at tn
stake MS wizards or worshipped as gods
i, No such wonders have been seen sine
II the divine man of Nazareth, the creates
of all healers, trod tho shores of tho SCI
;. OF Cnllllee and wrought his wonderful
U works in the cities and tho wilderness Q
JuucA, l5y your Shlll lHo Atti''c AAd w 49,
:, made to walk, the blind made to see. tn
" deaf to hear, and the poor and ,despalrln
II have had tho gospel of health and hop
preached unto them,
o Tho doctor closed his address with
!, prophesy OF the condition OF medicine Y
y tho near future,
y PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
y The president, Or, ]. N, upshur,
Richmond, then delivered his address
y the subject OF which was "Organiza
Il ton" lie spoke IN part as follows;
He recommended tho formation OF
t. body to be known MS the House OF Dele
If gates, to which should be referred "a
business matters coming to- the atten
ton OF the society thus allowing tn
: latter to devote Its entire time to sclen
tlc work.
3 lie did not think that the medical law
OF Virginia sufficiently protected IN
= public from charlatanry and quacker!
and recommended that IN place o. ~
n i0r