In our own country, previous to the organization of the American Medical Association, about thirty-six years ago, there was very little system in society work. That organization marks a new era in society usefulness. From it sprung the International Medical Congress, making a unit of medical investigation and progress of the world. We point with pride to Philadelphia as the city in which the association was organized, and to the able and determined stand our State has ever taken in sustaining and strengthening it. It has been a power for good to American medicine. It has elevated and is elevating the standard of our American medical colleges.
The progress in society organization, work and usefulness in the last thirty-six years is greater than in all American medical history previous to that time. We had then a few isolated independent medical societies without unity and without influence. We have at present a society in almost every county, a State society in every State, all united in an association and wielding an influence national and world wide.
Great as the benefit has been to the profession at large, it has been greater still to the individual practitioner. It has been to him a post-graduate school.
In our societies A. meets B., B., C. and C., D. They compare their investigations, experiences and theories, and each is benefited.
Our society enables us to know one another better. It is a true saying that, “no man is as good as his best deed nor as bad as his worst.” Our meeting in society aids us in striking the balance and makes us more united, by forming and cementing friendships. They discourage quackery, empiricism and everything that is professionally low and mean. They encourage and stimulate purity, nobility and rectitude. They are a strength to us medically and medico-legally. All that is necessary on our part to secure us these benefits and many more which might be enumerated, is to do our duty to our county, State and national societies. I will now present to you what I believe to constitute at least part of that duty.
First. Punctuality and regularity in attendance. This increases our interest and gives the society strength.
Second. Support with our intellect. We may not all have an equal number of talents, but he that has five should use them, and he that has one should use it, and the use of that one may be just what the society needs at the time.
If we have anything we think good in theory or practice, or any interesting case, let us report to our society.
I believe everything presented should be in writing, for very few physicians are good extemporaneous speakers, and all members should have such notice of the subject of all papers to be read before the society as will give them time to prepare for intelligent discussion; for unless a man has a clear idea of his subject he is liable to wander off into a labyrinth of side issues.
When appointed for a paper, we should have it ready and be on hand to read it. We should have more papers published, and to better prepare them for publication, each society should have an editor and a publication committee, with ability and power to revise, correct and publish papers and reports of the society.