SiElONfl pAN-J^ME^IdAJJ 
MEXICO 1896 
REPORT OF THE 
GENERAL SECRETARY 
TRANSLATED BY 
w. THOMPSON 
F.P. HOECX, TIP. 1 a. SAN FRANCISCO No. 12. MEXICO. Second Pan-American Medical Congress 
MEXICO 1896. 
Report of the General Secretary. 
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: 
The Bye-laws of this Congress impose on me the duty of rende- 
ring a report of the labors undertaken to realize this Meeting. I pro- 
pose to be very brief, so as not to tire your attention, and because 
the details are set forth in the programe which has just been distribu- 
ted. 
The first Congress which was formed by the physicians of the 
Western Hemisphere, met in the City of Washington in September, 
1893, the meeting being due to the powerful initiative of Dr. William 
Pepper. ( 
I beg leave to interrupt my report for a moment to introduce Dr. 
Pepper to your knowledge. 
At the risk of offending his modesty, I have to inform you that 
his scientific merits have raised him to the first rank in the Medical 
Profession of the United States; that the University of Pennsylvania, 
already famous before 1881, owes to this distinguished physician the 
great fame that it now enjoys; the increase in the space covered by 
the University, the new buildings with which it has been endowed, 
the great number of fresh branches of instruction that it has initia- 
ted, and that have given it such prosperity; the creation of important 
Museums; the good organization of the studies and the admirable 
conditions on which it has founded the University education; all of 
which merits have procured him the special honor of a bronze statue 
in the same Library that he founded. This is Dr. Pepper, whom we 
have the honor of seeing amongst us to-night. 2 
The other initiator of the First Pan-American Congress was Dr. 
Charles Reed, whom I also take the liberty of presenting to you, see- 
ing that he is here to-night. His untiring activity took advantage of 
all resources and led to a favorable resolution in Congress, with the 
powerful support of the mort important orators, and which resolution 
authorized the President of that Republic to invite all the Nations of 
the American Continent, to send delegates to that scientific meeting. 
In one of those sessions, it was decided to honor our country by 
holding the second meeting, in the present year in the city of Mexico. 
In accordance also with its own bye-laws, the Mexican Medical 
Congress which met in San Puis Potosi in the year 1804, appointed 
an Organizing Committee which should make the preparations for 
the present meeting. This Committee addressed itself to the Supre- 
me Executive of the Republic, asking for the necessary means with 
which to carry out its mission, and received the most decided support 
on the part of the President of the Republic; the support that he has 
always granted whenever it has been a question of protecting and 
encouraging everything that tends to the progress of our country. 
I consider it my duty as a matter of justice, to publicly declare in 
this place, that Gen. Diaz has identified himself with this project, in- 
viting all the Nations of this Hemisphere to send their delegations 
and to stimulate their national physicians to attend this neeting, and 
he has in every way contributed with all the resources that are at 
the disposal of the Executive, for such matters. 
All the Ministers have given us their valuable co-operation. The 
Scientific societies have cordially responded to our invitations; but 
I must make special mention of the International Committee that 
resides in the United States, and of which Dr. Pepper is President 
and Dr. Reed, is the Secretary. Both of these gentlemen honor us 
with their presence this evening, and they have carried on a most 
energetic propaganda amongst the physicians of the American Union, 
and of the Dominion of Canada. In the same manner I must express 
my gratitude to the government of the Federal District and the City 
Council of the Capital, who will do us the honor to tender a recep- 
tion to the members of the Congress; to the Valley Drainage Board 
which is going to give us an opportunity to inspect its great work, 
perhaps the most important that ever has been undertaken, for the 
sanitation of a sole district and one city; to the Governor of the Sta- 
te of Mexico, who will kindly receive in the town of San Juan Teo- 
tihuacan, those members of the Congress who may take an interest 3 
in Mexican antiquities, and the arqueological monuments that are 
found in that picturesque town ; to the Jockey Club of Mexico, and 
to the numerous private individuals, who are giving us their valua- 
ble aid in receiving and entertaining in this City, the distinguished 
guests who honor us with their presence. 
The invitations issued by the Government of the Mexican Re- 
public have been responded to by the Dominion of Canada, the Uni- 
ted States of America, Guatemala, Nicaragua, San Salvador, Hon- 
duras, Costa Rica, the Argentine Republic, Venezuela, Ecuador, 
and Uruguay, as well as by the islands of Cuba, Hayti and the French 
and Danish West Indies. 
Official delegates have been sent by the Dominion of Canada, 
the Governmet of the United States, which will be represented by 
members of the Army and Marine Medical Services, and by the Go- 
vernment of this Republic; the States of Mississippi, Nebraska, Mon- 
tana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico and South Dakota. From 
the Mexican Republic, delegates have been sent from the Territory 
of Rower California, and from the States of Chihuahua, Jalisco, San 
Luis Potosi, Puebla, Michoacan, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Guanajuato, 
Hidalgo, Zacatecas and Colima. 
The islands of Cuba and Hayti, the Republics of Guatemala, 
Nicaragua, Venezuela, Eduador and Peru, have also appointed dele- 
gates, as well as the scientific Associations of the District of Columbia, 
States of New York and Massachusetts, the Faculty of Medicine or 
Lima, Peru, the National Academy of Medicine in the same city, 
the Hospital association of the Atchison, Topeka andSta. Fe R. R., 
the Supreme Board of Health of Mexico, that of the State of Quere- 
taro, the National Medical Institute, the Academy of Medicine, the 
Army Medical Corps of the Mexican Republic, the Natural History 
Society, the Pedro Escobedo Society, the Iatromatic Society, etc. 
The Republics of Chile, Brazil and Argentine are represented by 
means of papers which have been forwarded by physicians af those 
countries. 
Five hundred and fifty physicians of the whole Hemisphere have 
promised us their attendance and they are accompanied by 96 ladies. 
The reading of 294 papers has been announced. 
Ninety eight extracts have been received for insertion in the 
programme. • • 
With this contribution of personal and scientific work the Second 
Pan-American Medical Congress will open its sessions. 4 
We have every reason to hope that its results will be beneficial 
to the progress of science, and will tend to alleviate the evils that 
afflict Humanity. It is in every way a consolation to see the spec- 
tacle that is presented by such meetings as this. They make us appre- 
ciate the advances of civilization, the benefits of the association and 
at the same time give us a practical proof of the universal fraternity 
that is found in scientific studies. 
The physicians who come from the Continent, from the islands, 
from the most northern points, from tropical countries or from the 
distant Republics of the South, all come animated with the same 
idea. They will separate from their discussions, all questions or con- 
troversies that could touch politcs or religion. Their studies and 
mutual instruction, will not be interfered with in any way by diffe- 
rence of race or of language. 
Those who come from distant countries have not taken into 
consideration the pain of leaving their families, nor have thejmnea- 
sured the distance that separates us from their distant lands: they 
have not been afraid of the dangers to be met with in their long 
journies, nor have they counted up the losses incurred through the 
abandonment of their own business, and still less are they animated 
by the sordid avarice, that the celebrated Engisli poet L,ord Byron, 
so bitterly censured in those traders, who abandoned their comforts, 
their families, and their countries, who defied the dangers of the seas 
and the ardent sun of the Torrid zone in search of wealth, without 
ever being able to satisfy their unlimited avarice. 
No gentlemen; you have not been brought here by the thirst for 
gold, you do not sacrifice your peaceful and laborious life, nor do 
you abandon your homes and countries for the sake of ignoble pas- 
sions. You come here to bring jmur contribution of knowledge and 
experience to the progress of medical science; you come to investigate 
the truth, to study the means of alleviating physial pain and to ad- 
vance the improvement of human intelligence. 
Gentlement: I can only express the hope that the fulfilment of 
the duties which you have freely imposed upon jmurselves, and the 
realization of these beautiful ideas, will compensate you for your 
sacrifices and contribute to the progress of Humanity. 
Gentlemen: In the name of my country I thank you for your 
presence at this Meeting. 
GENTLEMEN: YOU ARE WELCOME.