The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-22
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

have great respect and love for the
medical profession, as my father grad
uated from the old Jefferson Medical col
lege at Philadelphia. before the war,
which so far as physicians are concerned
put him in the old aristocratic class.
A few years back in rummaging
through some old family papers I found
some letters which he had written back
to his father, and it made me live over
my own college days, and learned that
the ways of coI1egians are very much
alike, so far as we have any records, for
the ones at school have a habit Of hold
ing I'D tie pater familias at home.
used to hear him tell how in the SOS
he had to make part OF his journey to
PHILADELPHIA by stage (and, by the way,
in the family over at Washington. Ca
is an old Sheraton sideboard that was
brought by wagon from the Quaker City
to the home town Of Gen. Robert ToombG.
NV father came to Alabama before the
war and began the practice of medicine
at Glennyille.
The fact that he was physician has
always endeared the profession to me-
and SO was glad to be able to attend
some of the sessions Of the Alabama
Medical society recently held in Birming-
ham at the Tutwiler, and to listen to
some of the papers and hear some OF the
addresses, and the discussions. I found
out that they could wrangle at times like
lawyers or debate like preachers. HUI
man nature is about the same, whether
it wears the dress Of a doctor, the garb
Of a minister, or the gown of the lawyer.
The war brought up many new prob
lens for solution, and there was always
a sprinkling OF uniforms in the meet
iugs. I heard some of Uncle Sans men
tackle some mighty big things in the way
of sanitation and the prophyiactic treat
ment Of certain army diseases which
greatly cripple the efficiency Of the men
and imperil society. 1t was brought out
that society owed something to the SOL
der in the way of protection against
NA>t -
vice.
A great many of the tapers were tech
nical ami only OF interest to the profess
sion. but there were enough discussions
to make it possible for layman to get
the drift OF what his medical advisers
were doing in his behalf, not only along
lines OF materia medica, but surgical
Of q nature so wonderful
as to be almost unbelievable. To hear
what the surgeons are doing abroad
rernake a man who has been smashed
beyond recognition.
| DR.. WEIGH, the state health officer was
always on the job. He wants progressive
laws under which to work backed up by
the whole body Of doctors SO that all OF
the Ct counties may be operated on u
scientific and co-ordinated basis, and
| in this way make it possible to enter into
correlated relations with the best there
| il in the other states. It seems that the
laws Of sanitation vary in one state
| from another as much as do those on d.
vorce. DR.. WEIGH is an effective speaker.
! DR.. w. T. Partlow of Tuscaloosa. the
president who presided at the meetings
| did it with ease and settled points of o.
| der with the quickness Of trained law
YER politician. ! was present on Friday
morning and thought they we're going to
tangle him up on motions, substitutes,
amendments and other tricks known to
the convention wise. but he always kept
his head and in tho end found his way
through tho tangled wilderness to safe
DECISION. Yet I was told that this was
] ono Of the most harmonious sessions
they nave ever held.
! learned accidentally that some doc
| tors attend the city where the conven-
! ton is held. but rarely are seen at head
quarters or in any of the sessions. A
! certain doctor came UP and was speak
| ing to = friend of mine, and confessed
that he had used the gathering as a
chance to set : holiday and see some Of
| his people who lived here, but that to
save his face he went ~ IT the clAae