Northampton County Medical Society Philadelphia County Medical Society on Meteorology and Epi- demics, for the Year 1877. ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania, AT ITS TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL SESSION, HELD IN PITTSBURG, MAY 1878. THE Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania met at Pittsburg, May 29th, 1878, in Library Hall, and was called to order at 3 P. M. The retiring President, Dr. R. B. Mowry, of Allegheny, took the chair, assisted by Vice-President Dr. L. TURNBULL, of Philadelphia. The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Wм. B. ATKINSON, of Philadelphia, the Assistant Secretary, Dr. H. T. COFFEY, of Allegheny, the Corresponding Secretary, Dr. WM. GOODELL, and the Treasurer, Dr. B. LEE, of Philadelphia, were also present. The session was opened with prayer by the Rev. E. A. FELTON, D.D., of Pittsburg. Dr. MowRY introduced Dr. D. HAYES AGNEW, of Philadelphia, President elect, who assumed the chair with some appropriate remarks. Dr. T. J. GALLAHER, Chairman of the Committee of Arrangements, introduced Dr. C. B. KING, who, on behalf of the Committee, welcomed the Society to Pittsburg and its hospitalities as follows: Mr. PresideNT AND MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA: In the name of the Allegheny County Medical Society and the people of the cities of Pittsburg and Allegheny, I bid you welcome to the second city of the commonwealth, the Birmingham of America. Coming as you do from every portion of our commonwealth, at the sacrifice of the comforts of your homes and pecuniary interests, to give us the results of carefully recorded facts in your labors for the amelioration of suffering humanity, and to discuss in an intelligent and friendly spirit the best means of bringing our profession nearer perfection, is a pledge to the citizens of this State that you fully realize the responsibility resting upon you as physicians, and the necessity of making yourselves familiar with the improvements in our science. We have here assembled, men representing the talent and experience of our State, whose labors and well-directed efforts are used to maintain the dignity, and extend the usefulness of this Society; who are actively working in the wide field of science, investigating its hidden truths and applying the results to the benefit of suffering humanity. As the result of these labors, valuable papers are presented, interesting and instructive discussions are participated in, which exert a wholesome and conservative influence on the profession, and stimulate us to extend and maintain the high reputation which this Society has already acquired. This Society has been engaged for years in earnest and laborious efforts to elevate the standard of the profession. Although it is evident from the very thorough discussion which the subject has elicited from the profession for these many years, that it is not satisfied with the existing state of medical education, nor with the results as shown in graduates from our medical colleges, yet little has really been accomplished toward bringing about the desired change. It is an undeniable fact that, of the three thousand practitioners who go forth from our colleges every year, many are not only ignorant of the branches of a common school education, but are imperfectly acquainted with the different departments of their own profession. To remedy this evil it has been resolved to devote part of the second day of this session to the consideration of the resolutions offered by the committee on medical education, endorsing only such colleges as rigidly enforce the three years' course of study in their curriculum, and demanding the elevation of the standard of admission to the study of medicine by requiring all applicants to undergo a preliminary examination before a board appointed for that purpose by the different county societies. Heretofore the whole blame has been charged to our medical teachers; but are they alone responsible, when we admit students to our offices without an effort on our part to gain some knowledge of their qualifications? In justice then to the teacher as well as in the discharge of our duty to the community, let us see to it, that the student possesses a well-cultivated mind and an unexceptionable moral character before we accept him. You have, with that commendable spirit that ever actuates the true disciples of medicine, in encouraging, improving, and developing means to prolong the lives and improve the health of the people of this commonwealth, appointed a committee to urge upon our legislature the importance and necessity of establishing a State Board of Health. Although the objects of such a board were clearly set forth in a memorial placed in the hands of each member, it failed to become a law for the reason that sanitary reform has never received the attention from the public it deserves. We have our Boards of Education for the advancement of intelligence, Boards of Agriculture for the encouragement and improvement of the products of the soil, but a |