Year: 1867

We copy the following communica-
tion from the Clarksburg Conservative of
last week:


4 number of physicians last spring
started on the very laudable mission of
convening the medical gentlemen ofthis
State, for the purpose of forming an as
sOciatiOn for the elevation of the STAN
dard Of tEa medical profession generally.
Consequently a call was signed for con
vention ON 10th of April, at Fairmont,
whereupon q number of the profession
assembled, and organized a society, to be
known as the Medical Society OF West
Virginia. This association was compOs-
ed of few regular and few irregular
physic ians, numbering altogether some
twenty-five or three members.


Officers were elected for the ensuing
term, code of ethics, rules and regula-
tions for working, were adopted. There
were to be two annual meetings, in April
and October, respectively. A hope was
entertained that by the time of the meet
ing in October, the rough-ashlers that
came into the society as charter or Or
ganic members would by utilization har
monize with the regular material so
that it would require microscopic OBJ
servation 10 discover their presence. but
ike General Holmes Nortk Carolina
coDscripts in the Confederate army,
which he calculated to "hide away in
his old volunteer regiments where they
would not be known from the veteran
sold eIs. alas! for human hopes, the
first engagement with the enemy was
Only necessary to discover their where
abouts. In pursuance of decision of
first meeting the society met in Wheel
ing on 2nd inst. The roll having been
cal ed, some twenty-five or thirty MEM
bers wero present and about the same
number absent. The question was
asked by member possessing an in
credulous stock of curiosity, "by what
unaccOuntable means has the numer-
ical strength of this infant society in
creased from twenty-five or three to
more than twice that number in SIX
months, or since the last session, when
the express provision of the code +, quires
q majority of two. thirds of the men,
bers present at any regular meeting to
elect candidate, on ballot" There
being no answer to this reasonable in
quiry, no farther investigation was
attempted, but during the session on
second day a resolution was introduced,
declaring all those enrolled since last
a pr OF during the Interim" entitled
to full membership, which was adopted.


The president read quite lengthy ad-
dress on the history Of the profession,
one essential element Of which was a
panegyric on the "late lamented Lin
IL l,latinr 1arnplu fhA
Emancipation Proclamation" but did
not presume to say whether or not the
philanthropic doors of all medical in
stitutions should be thrown open for
the matriculation of the descendant of
Ham" in class with the Caucasian,-
then brought into the Medical Society
of West Va, or whether he would have
them come in pleRo riro like the major
part of the present society, without ed
ucational qualification or any atone
ment for the long continued violation of
almost every article in the code OF
ethics.


He was also specific in his charge to
the members "not to be so superCilious
or fastidious as to be annoying the pre-
siding officer with variations of little
irregularities and professional discount.
esy or neglect of professional etiquette" i"


In conclusion, we have to say that
we should delight in assisting to ele-
evate the medical standard in this State
or any other, and trust il may yet bo
done, and it can only be effected by the
united effort of the regular profession IN
Well regulated association, but there
are too many worthy medical gentle
men who do not belong to this society
and will not affiliate with it, because OF
the many unworthy and irregular mem
bers now constituting if.