The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-30
FINLEY TALKS ON
 NATIONS DISEASE Philosophical Discourse By the President of Southern WAS FEATURE OF THE DAY Taking Subject, "The Treatment of a cohvaIescent Nation," He Applies
 Doctors Language to the
 Country's Ills.
WAS FEATURE OF THE DAY

The feature or yestefday aAlei HooA D session of the surgeons of the Southern railway was the address of President W. W Finley at the Country club. With marked ability he discussed afhe Treat ment of a Convalescent Nation, and ap- piled the language as well as the policy or the physician both to the system of rough treatment before the panic and the follow ing adaptation of easier methods. It was hailed as one of the most philosophlc views of the nations condition ever ut- tered. President Finley said:
 Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am glad to have this opportunity CT meeting personally so many or the surgeons of tie Southern Railway com panY-men whom we would be glad 10 have always idle, but upon whom we can always depend in time of need. l am sure that this meeting of your asso- ciation and your discussion of medlcal and surgical topics and of the duties of railway surgeons, will be benehelal not only to you, but to the company and I am sure that you and the ladies of your families are having an enjoy able visit to the hospitable city of BIT mingham.
 In looking over your programme Tor | ception of myself, each speaker has been assigned a professional topic. I do not know why you have made this exception, and, although l have never received a diploma from medical col lege, I have decided to talk to you on "The Proper Treatment of a Con valescent."
 There are many points of similarity between the human body and the com plex body polite which composes our nation. Our body polite is subject to periodical attacks of illness just as IS the human body. It has recently passed through one of these attacks and is now slowly recovering its norma h edith. It is in that conValescent stage from which, if all goes well, it will be restored to perfect health, but in which there is danger that unskillful treat ment or improper nursing, may result in a relapse.
 But a short time ago the patient was in robust health Here and there, upon the surface there appeared from time to time cutaneous eruptions. in some cases developing into ugly-look- ing sores, the evidence of too high living rather than of constitutional disease, and at times the life blood of commerce, flowing through it's veins and arteries in a volume never before equaled, suffered from local conges- tion, calling for a little skillful treat ment to accelerate the flow, but indic- atfve of exuberant health, rather than of any serious malady.
 Disagreement In Diagnosis.
 As is often the case among physi- cians who treat the human body, there was wide disagreement as to the prop CT diagnosis of the case of the body polite. On the one hand were those who insisted that the general health of the patient was sound, and that the eruptions and compositions should be treated by judicious local applications of regulative remedies. On the other hand were those who insisted that the eruptions were indicative of internal corruption, permeat ting the entire body, and that the compositions were the re- suit of constitutional debility of the circulatory system Those holding this view of the case insisted that every surface indication should be dug into and that spots where no such indica- tions appeared should be attacked 1acerating the healthy flesh, on the theory that, if they should be allowed to dig deep enough, they would un- cover masses of corruption. As a con- sequence of this disagreement among the doctors, the patient was subjected to a large variety of treatments. Is 1t to be wondered that, strong and vigor- ous as he was, constantly uncertain as to the treatment to be given him in the future and weakened by laceration, after premonitory symptoms of fever ishness, he suddenly collapsed?
 Fortunately, at this juneture a more conservative line of treatment was