The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-11-13
DOCTORS
In the South Are to Gather in
the City of Lexington
Next Week.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Nov. 1S.-The
approaching meeting the Southern
Medical Association at Lexington,
Ky, on November 1920, is claimed,
will be the most remarkable gather
ing of physicians ever assembled in
the South. The program shows that
every one of the sixteen southern
states is represented by number of
Its most distinguished physicians. The
subjects to be discussed cover the
whole field of medicine and surgery
but throughout the program subjects
of particular interest to southern ply
Isicians preponderate West. Virginia
is we'll represented on the program.
Any association that doubles its
membership every year must have
good reasons for its existence. par
ticularly when it lacks the elements
of selfishness that underlies SO many
other organizations. The Southern
Medical Association. has made that
phenomenal record. Three years ago
1t had only 900 members, two years
ago 1t boosted of 600 and one year.ago
the membership had reached 1900.
One thousand new members have been
added to its roll since last November
and 1t is confidentially expected that
before the coming meeting at Licking
ton the record of doubling Its menu
bership each year will be maintained.
Yet this organization Is entirely de-
void of financial, political or social
inducements to join its rank. 1t is
purely a scientific body and is COM
posed of physicians who are the lead
ers of their profession in every south
ern state. The inevitable result is
that the papers contributed at the
meeting and the discussions there
on are of an unusually high order. 1t
is believed by those interested that
this meeting will prove an epoch in
southern medicine. 1t will demon
strate beyond dispute that the repre-
sentatives of the medical profession
in the South are the equals of any
Others without exception, that the
work they are doing for the advance
ment OF medical science is as thorough
and important as is being prosecuted
anywhere, and that there is no occas-
ion for going out of the South for the
best of everything in medicine and
surgery.
But there is an element connected
with the work of the Southern Med,
tcal Association that is not always
appreciated, and that is its influence
upon public opinion for public well
fare. which extends to the remotest
Teighborhood in the South. By lead
ing the opinions of its members in
such a way as to arouse their interest
insquestions of hygiene and santa
ton It has been a powerful agent in
supporting the remarkable revival
of public attention in such matters.
So that everywhere we. see the people
wide awake to necessity of local san
ttation. Since the organization of the
Southern Medical Association and the
publication of its official organ, the
Southern Medical journal. this re-
vival has swept the southern states
with a power that Is without prece-
dent in such a cause.
: Since the South has suffered more
than its share from unsanitary CON
ditions there can be no doubt that the
interest in the prevention Of disease
that is being fostered by the Southern
Medical Association and its journal
viii prove Of material value in the
wonderful industrial development
that is everywhere seen in our favored