Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-13
THE STATUE UNVEILED
Perpetuation Of Dr.. Benjamin
Rush's Memory.
PRESENTED TO NATION
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MAKES
SPEECH OF ACCEPTANCE
Formal Address and Eulogy by Dr..
Wilson Of Philadelphia-Dis-
tinguished Witnesses
PRESENTED TO NATION

Wilson Of Philadelphta-Dis-
tinguished Witnesses.
The unwilling exercises Of the Benjamin
Rush statue on the grounds OF the United
States Naval Museum OF Hygiene and Ned
ical School late Saturday afternoon were
attended by distinguished company. in
Guiding the President of the United States.
who, on behalf of the nation. accepted the
memorial bronze presented to the country
by the American Medical Association. Many
words in eulogy Of the patriot, physician
and philanthropist whose likeness the
statue perpetuates were uttered by the
speakers of the occasion.
DR.. ]. H. Musser. president Of the Ameri-
can Medical Association, presided, and in
troduced DR.. ]. C. Wilson of Philadelphia.
who delivered the eulogy. AS DIR. Wilson
arose to speak the architect of the statue,
Mr.. Louis R. Metcalfe of New York. pulled
the rope which released the shroud inclos-
Ing the bronze. AS the cloth fell away and
the statue came into view there were
many expressions Of admiration for the
splendid work. The Marine Band, under
the direction of Lieut.. Santelmann, render
ed patriotic airs.
The Presentation Address.
In his address DR.. Wilson told Of the
struggles made by Rush for the betterment
Of his fellow-men and eulogized him as a
patriot. He said that "he did not sign the
Declaration of Independence because he
was member Of the Continental Congress,
but he became q member Of that body In
order that he might sign It." He told of
the great fever scourge in Philadelphia
and of how Rush had thrown all his splen.
did genius into the battle against Its raw
ages. winning the praise OF crowned heads
OF Europe and the esteem Of the leaders of
thought In the medical profession through
out the world. He said that one pre-emI-
nent characteristic that distinguished Rush
was that he was intensely human, and like
all other men Of strong character made
enemies. He said that men of this genera
ton are more fitted to Judge him and his
motives and to give him the place in history
70 which he Is entitled than were his con-
temporaries
The speaker referred to the inscription on
one side of the pedestal OF the monument.
FIRST American Alienist," and declared
that II was fitting title for the man who
had been honored by 1t. He asserted that
the comparisons of Rush to other great
medical men of other times was ill-placed,
as he stood alone upon his own worth. "He
was great in his own right He wa. the
11rst great American physician" Dr. VIII
son closed his address by formally present.
ing the statue to the country.
President Accepts.
PRESIDENT Roosevelt, after congratuIating
DR.. Wilson upon his address, formally ac-
cepted the statue, saying:
Il accept on behalf of the nation the gift
so fittingly bestowed by one of the great
professions-this statue Of a man who was
eminent not only in that profession, but
eminent In his service to the nation as a
whole. We nave listened to the interesting
STUDY or the life of Benjamin Rush, and it
must surely have been brought home to
10 1r;.,
peculiar significance in part from the great
ness OF his pioneer work a physician on
this continent, in part from the way in
which he combined with arluous and inces-
SAINT labor in his profession the greatest de-
votion even outside of that profession to the
welfare of his fellow countrymen. Here at
the national capital 1t is earnestly to be
hoped that we shall finally see commemor-
ated, as the services of Rush are henceforth
to be cOmmemorated by this statue all the
great Americans who, working in widely
different lines, by the aggregate of their
work make the sum of achievement of
America in the world. l thank and con-
graduate you of the medical profession to-
day upon what you have done, not merely
in concentrating the foremost pioneer in
your own profession, but in adding at the
national capital figure to the gallery of
great Americans who should be here COM
memorated.
las you said, DR.. Benjamin Rush was not
specialist in the me dern sense. He could
rot be. There We're not any specialists in
There was possibility of there being
such. But would like in this age Of spe-
c1alization to say one word In the way of a
short sermon to eminent specialists To-
DAY no specialist In a democratic country
like ours can afford to be so exclusively a
specialist as to forget that one part of his
duty Is his duty to the general public and
to the state. Where government is the
duty of all, 1t, of course, means that 1t Is
the duty OF each, and the minute the aver
age man gets to thinking that government
is the duty Of somebody else, that minute
the republic will begin to go down. 1t Is a
fortunate thing for our country that we
stculd have before US the lives Of men like
Rpsh, who could take part in our public
life as distinguished as Is implied by hay
ing been signer Of the Declaration OF In
dere ndence, and yet do 1T without particle
Of neglect of the mans own proper duties
Duty Of Citizenship.
ST would earnestly plead, in addressing
this audience, and especially the members
of the high and honorable profession which
has given this gift to the nation, that you
never for one moment permit yourselves TO
forget the fact that the we'll being OF the
republic ultimately depends upon the way
In which, as a Iule and habitually. the best
citizen Of the republic does his duty to the
state: and that we have right not merely
to expect, but to demand, from our hard
est woI ked men, from the leaders of the
great professions, the full performance OF
that public service which consists in zeal
Gus. intelligent and fearless performance OF
the ordinary duties of public life by the or
binary private citizen.
II thank you for having presented TO the
national capital to the people of the United
States, the statue of man who was fore
most as a leader and pioneer in his pro-
fession, who was great physician and a
great American"
Mrs. Roosevelt during the ceremonies sat
Immediately behind the President, with
other notable guests, among whom were:
Or Frank Billings of Chicago, DR.. H. ID.
Holton. Dr. L. S. McMurtrie of Kentucky,
the nresident-elect Of the association; DR..
George 8. Simmons. secretary Of the asso-
two Years ago operated upon King Edward
and who is an honorary member Of the as
ISOLATION; Surgean General Rixey OF the
navy, Surgeon General Wyman OF the Ma
rine Hospital Service and Drs. William Os-
Ter and William H. Welsh.
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