The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-22
0r. Harper Talks On The Phy-
 sician's Duty"
SOME WHOLESOME ADVICE
pr. Partlow, Orator for the Convention, Takes "Medlclne and Sociology" as His Toplc-Laree Audi
 ence Present.

the session of the Alabama Medical as- sociation. A brilliant crowd which att tended the reception at the Hlllman hotel afterward, gathered and listened to the monitors address by Dr. William Wade Harper of Selma and the annual oration by Dr. William Dempsey Partlow of Tus- oaloosa. The programme was inter spersed with music by the orchestra, and songs by the Birmingham Seminary quar- tet.
 pr. Harper chose as his subject "The Physicians Duty He said;
 Tn auditing the life of the doctor find upon the debit side four iterns First his duty to the state; second, his duty to the patient; third, his duty to his brother doc tor; fourth, his duty to the profession.
 'In exchange for his license and a field for practice, the state Justly expects re- turns from the scientific knowledge and skill of every doctor. Through his knowl- edge of the cause and cure of disease he can convert a swamp of sickness into garden of health and beauty. After thou sands had been fed to the merciless maw of the Chagres bottoms statesmen ap-
 
 nation from decimation and financial de- struction. It should be a matter of state pride to know that an Alabama doctor made possible the Panama canal. When General Gorgas entered the canal zone it was the sickliest spot upon the globe. AS a result of his genius, skill and scientific knowledge, the death rate of the zone is now lower than that of any city in the world.
 For years the commerce of our own fair southland was periodically ruined by invaslons of yellow fever. Many of her citizens fell victims to the ravages of the dreadful plague. From time to time the existence of yellow fever was announced, and a panic immediately ensued. Men fled for their lives; but doctors impeled by philanthropic and patriotic motives, re- mained at their posts of duty. In the name of science, volunteers were called for, and a southern boy, Dr. Lozear, of fered himself a sacrifice upon the alter of medical research. With his blood the history of new south was written. AL though the body of Lozear has long since erumbled into clay his memory. like some fragrant flower, still fingers in our minds, inspiring us to loftier and nobler ideals. By reason of the high ideas and ideals of a distinguished physician. who had a true conception of his duty to the state Ala bama today enjoys better health laws than any state in the union. She rests upon this vantage ground through the towering intellect and fine patriotism of that matchless genius and indefstigable worker, Jerome Cochran. Cochran sleeps an honored sleep. but his influence lives and will live until the end of time"
 The speaker then devoted his time to the details of medical duties and ended with this advice:
 Every doctor should attend regularly the meetings of his medical society and take an active part in its deliberations. Every doctor should prepare papers and, as far as possible, let them be original A short paper of this character by any doctor Is far more valuable and interest ing than a long one copied from some text book. If the doctor does not feel competent to write original essays, let him report his interesting eases. This will develop the habit of study and close ob- servation.
 1 T beg the older members of the profes- sion to temper with mercy their criticisms of the newly created and opinionated doc tors, for after a while they will suffer cranial dehation and reach the plane of ordinary mortals
 To Younger Members.
 .''To the younger members, I would say, be courteous to your seniors By their patient toll they have paved the way for you; and if perchance you have reached the pinnacle of fame, remember that you have done so by standing upon their shoulders. In every society there | are a few living in the afternoon of life, whose faces are aglow with the evening sun. Do not neglect these medical patri- archs for they are veritable caravans of information. Urge them to attend the so- ciety, and when they do, give them such hearty welcome as that they will not l feel that they are out of date editions. Emulate the lives of those who have adorned the pages of medical literature. 1 We are soldiers of the King and under i His wise guidance are routing the micro- scopical foe of the human race. No l longer does smallpox slay its thousands and diphtheria it's tens of thousands hy- i drophobia Is in full retreat and tubercu- | losis has asked for terms of peace Move l forward ye valiant sons of Aesculapus and capture the stronghold of carcinoma 1 Then shall we see the beginning of the millennium, when freed from sorrow and l disease We shall make trlumphal entry into the Eternal City. whose maker and | builder is the Trlune God"
 pr. Partlow as Orator.
 Dr. Partlow. the orator of the night. spoke upon Medicine and Sociology '' He introduced his ideas with these words {:
 "Particularly at the present time when | one of the most active and important functions of organized medicine is the protection of man against disease and the promotion of public health, which in their l far-reaching results become sociologic l questions as well. no topic should bestir a more lively interest among all classes than serious communion bringing about close relationship between medicine and society. Upon such coordinate under standing depends the chance for success in carrying forward the great plans for
 the common good, which are being in-
 corporated in the programme of modern