Compliments of Author. 
THE BALTIMORE ACADEMY OF 
MEDICINE. 
INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
-BY- 
W. C. Van Bibber, M. D., 
President. 
(Delivered before the Academy, November, 18th, 1887.) 
(lieprint from the Maryland Medical Journal, of Novem- 
. her 5th, 1887.) 
BALTIMORE: 
Journal Publishing Company^ Print, 
209 Park Avenue, 
1887. INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
I was not present at the last meeting 
of "The Academy," and when I re- 
ceived the notice of my election from 
the Secretary, "I went home," as John 
Redman said he did when elected the 
first President of the College of Physi- 
cians of Philadelphia, "under a strong 
impression of the weight both of the of- 
fice, and of my obligations to you." 
Gentlemen, I thank you for the honor 
of having elected me President of this 
Academy. 
Long may we enjoy the pleasure of 
our meetings; and long live the 
Academy. 
I will say this now with entire confi- 
dence in the fact; because it is better to 
be confident than. to express abundant 
hope; it is well to have no misgivings. 
It is always pleasant to think, and to 
believe, that we ourselves, and what we 
create, will live and last forever. 
It is well for us to reason together at 2 
this time, and at this particular juncture 
of the affairs of this Academy. 
It is well for brethren to be of one 
mind concerning things that are proper 
and good. 
It is well for a community, or a 
society, which has in view some particu- 
lar purpose, to be a unit concerning the 
intent of that purpose; having no dis- 
sentions or antagonisms among its 
members. But this is, generally, a diffi- 
cult thing to accomplish. 
The object of this paper is to attempt 
to bring about a unanimity among the 
members concerning the future object of 
this Academy. It is an important matter. 
Why should we not determine that 
this Academy shall live and last forever ? 
We have iifty-two members. It is conced- 
ed, I believe, both within and without 
the circle of the Academy that the mem- 
bership is select. No fifty-two medical 
men could be brought together, upon call, 
in this city, where the directory numbers 
about 675 under the head of physicians, 
who are better adapted to begin and 
carry on a great work. 
We feel as if this can be said here in 
truth, without the least reflection upon 
the membership of any other Society. 
We have a professsion, which is 
a common bond between the members 
of the Academy, and is a band around us; 
and this profession will last. 3 
We live in a country, and a city, that 
we love. We love our profession and 
each other, and therefore, why should 
not this Academy last ? 
Let us determine that it shall; and as 
each man stamps his impress upon the 
time in which he lives; as every man 
leaves, or tries to leave, some mark be- 
hind him upon the place where he has 
worked; and as any man may give his 
impetus to the next man following or 
surviving him, then, if we fifty-two men, 
are in earnest here and now, and so con- 
tinue to our end, this Society must last. 
Remember the year 1877 for in that 
year was the first meeting of this 
Academy. But this Academy sprang 
from the second edition of the Pathologi- 
cal Society of Baltimore, and the first 
edition of this latter Society was com- 
menced in 1847. This takes us a few 
years backward; but what is that in the 
endless future ? 
We wish now to consider and define 
the present condition, and the future 
uses of this Medical Society, and to 
look forward to its success in some 
special work. 
Perfection we must not expect; for 
perfection, like the end of time, is never 
attained. 
What may be expected now, of us, as 
practical men, is to consider and deter- 
mine what is the best use can be made 4 
of this Academy, as a body, and upon 
which work we are willing and anxious 
to enter. 
In order to satisfy ourselves more 
clearly of the general use of a medical 
society to the profession, we are at 
liberty to picture to ourselves, a state of 
things where no medical society exists. 
This situation is presented in the pic- 
ture of an independent and lonely 
country practitioner of the medical art, 
where no medical society can be reached. 
Even this extreme situation, it is con- 
ceded, may have some advantages. 
A practitioner in this position must 
become thoughtful, observant, deductive, 
gathering pain and pleasure together, 
according as he is successful or the re- 
verse. He has no critics, no authorities 
over him. 
Yet this isolated country practitioner 
ever feels that something is wanting to 
him. It is the nature of all scientific 
study, that it brings with it higher wants 
and aims than individual success; and 
what is the want that the country prac- 
titioner feels ? 
It- is for some authoritative acknowl- 
edgement of his proficiency; for some 
guarantee, by those engaged in the same 
course of study as himself, that he is 
certainly striving with zeal and indus- 
try, to obtain a high place in his profes- 
sion. Such an acknowledgement of profi- 
ciency; such a collective testimony or 
guarantee of his individual fitness and 
reward, is found, and found, only in the 
membership of a properly conducted 
medical society. 
This should be one 'of the higher 
planes of the usefulness, and the life, and 
the special intention of some one 
society, in every city, every state, and 
every country throughout the world. 
This grasp for the higher plane of pro- 
fessional excellence, by any one society, 
if rigidly carried out, need not reflect 
in any way upon the membership of 
other medical societies. 
There are now here, and there should 
be here, and everywhere, other medical 
societies, having different spheres of use- 
fulness, different aims, and for different 
details of work and action. 
But the necessity for an authoritative 
society has other forms of usefulness, to 
be hereafter mentioned, which should be 
held as a requisite in the just pride of 
all professions. And, in reality, such 
societies are accomplished facts, to a 
greater or less extent, over the whole 
earth. 
That this want exists here, especially 
at this time, is conceded. 
In this, the last third of our century, 
there is a new group of physicians com- 
ing upon the stage, who are trained in a 
5 6 
different way from the offier ones, 
and who represent colleges of various 
standings, and of both sexes. 
A discrimination therefore is neces- 
sary and must be an advantage to the 
profession,and to society, and to the com- 
monwealth. 
It was to supply this want, that this 
Academy first came into existence. It is 
to urge you, my Brethren, to keep it 
well up to this standard, that I have 
chosen this as the object of my address 
to-night. 
A sufficient endorsement, that anyone 
is entitled to a high position or estima- 
tion in his profession, excepting in rare 
individual instances, can only be ob- 
tained by means of authorship, or by 
college, by university, or society mem- 
bership. 
If there were any other ways of ob- 
taining this endorsement it would be 
useless to say anything more upon the 
subject here, at present; and all that 
will be said hereafter might then go for 
nothing. But I appeal to you for cor- 
rection, if what I have said is not the 
plain fact in the case. 
I know,in this connection, it will imme- 
diately occur to many of you, and it may 
possibly be the case, that, had our field 
of society been larger, in this city, and 
organized more up to the measure of 
gratifying a high ambition-our schools 7 
would have been fewer, and the serious 
danger of overcrowding the profession 
would have been less. 
In order to show that the controlling 
influences of a medical society may be 
great,-that it may be, if properly con- 
ducted, satisfying to the ambition, and 
pleasing to the medical man, let me give 
you two short pictures in illustration. 
Years ago, two of the present mem- 
bers of this Academy, both of whom are 
now present, visited by invitation, a 
meeting of The College of Physicians 
of Philadelphia which celebrated its 
centennial meeting on the 3d of last 
January. This is the oldest medical 
society in this country, which is not con- 
nected -with a state organization, and is 
probably the most influential. They 
were not then in their new building 
which they now occupy, but their meet- 
ings were in a house on Spruce Street, 
within the college enclosure. It was at 
night, and the lamps were shaded along 
a line of two tables. The room was ar- 
ranged with becoming dignity. Prof. 
Wood was in the chair, and there were 
sitting near him Professors Jackson, and 
Condie, and Gross, and Meigs, and 
Bache, and Dickson, and Dunglison, 
and Pancoast and others-some who have 
since passed away, and many who are 
still alive. 8 
It was plain to the visitors that they 
who were sitting around th'ose tables 
had the endorsement of being meritor- 
ious physicians. 
In 1850, in a room on North Charles 
Street in the house of the late Dr. Samuel 
Theobald, Professor Robey of the 
University of Maryland, being in the 
chair, there were present Prof N. R. 
Smith, Prof. Chew, Prof. Levin S. 
Joynes, Prof. Chas. Frick, Dr. Wm. 
Riley, Dr. John O'Donovan, and others 
now living, some of whom are here to- 
night. I have only spoken of the dead. 
A presence in that room was then con- 
sidered an endorsement of high merit in 
this city. The rule of the Pathological 
Society was then membership only by 
unanimous vote. 
I might pass before you in review, 
many other societies, of which all of 
you are acquainted, holding in every part 
of the world a membership which is 
sought for by the ambitious, and when 
gained is a true endorsement of indi- 
vidual merit, and it is for this, and al- 
most for this alone, that the membership 
is prized, whether that membership be 
active or honorary. 
The affairs of these societies are prop- 
erly managed. This is the point upon 
which we must confer. 
It is well known that in most of the 
medical societies in this city, when a 9 
name is mentioned for membei^hip, it is 
stated that the individual has a diploma 
from some medical college, and is there- 
fore eligible for membership, to which 
be is at once duly elected. This is 
proper when certain restrictions are ob- 
served, but it must not be so in this 
Academy, provided we wish'to place this 
Academy upon a higher plane. 
This is a point also to be determined, 
and an important one, in which we are 
all interested. 
This Society may fail to reach the 
high standard anticipated, and at which 
its members should aim, from a variety 
of causes. You all know what these 
causes may be as well as I do. 
Like the germs of life, notwithstand- 
ing the great profusion -produced, com- 
paratively few of the germs survive;-so 
of the many medical societies formed, 
for the purpose of attaining a high end, 
a large majority of them fail. It seems 
to me, however, that here, we have a 
rare chance for success-provided we 
unite and remain firm to the cause 
and to ourselves. There is evidently a 
pressing necessity for such a Society here, 
and this Academy is the proper one with- 
in which to begin such a work. 
It may not be out of place, if in a 
general way, a few of the causes are 
recited which will not infuse long life, and full success as an authoritative body, 
into this Society. 
It will not succeed by apathy; nor 
develop by unfruitfnlness, or want of 
confidence. 
It will not carry on the work pro- 
posed by opening our doors to vicious 
idleness; by indulging in a warmth of 
social feelings; by relaxation of rules, or 
departing in any way from the fixed 
purpose we have in view. 
It will not succeed by ignorance, 
fraud, or want of attention to the his- 
tory of our own, or other societies which 
have a bearing on our case or purpose. 
But we will succeed, for we have the 
elements of success within our circle, by 
the reverse of these things which have 
been mentioned; and added to these, let 
me also mention, a just and proper pride 
must be attached to the membership of 
this society; a feeling of the benefit it may 
confer upon its members, even by its 
name alone; provided the standard of 
entering its portals is made sufficiently 
exclusive to excite pride and ambition. 
There may be some amongst us, who 
will take a different view of the proper 
use of the time, which, as practitioners, 
each one of us is able to devote to a 
society. 
Some may contend for practical pro- 
fessional work to be done in a society, 
saying that they go amongst their 
10 11 
brethren to instruct as well as to learn, 
to give as well as to take. 
There can be certainly no objection to 
this work, but there are societies which 
should have this as their special aim. 
There are three or four of such societies 
in this city amongst the general prac- 
titioners, and there are societies of 
specialists also. 
The membership of this Academy, con- 
sisting as it does of both general practi- 
tioners and specialists, should be sought 
for as an endorsement of distinguished 
merit by all; and it is this, alone, which 
should induce any one to knock at its 
portals. 
The two safe-guards which the consti- 
tution has thrown around admission, 
viz., the ten year clause, or the thesis 
clause, would seem to be sufficient pro- 
vided they are well and strictly admin- 
istered. 
Each one should feel that the membership 
of this Academy is an ample equivalent 
to the expense of its membership even 
if the member never attends a meeting 
of the Academy. The distinguished 
honor of being a member should be to 
the ambitions, more in value than any 
annual subscription which could be 
reasonably imposed. 
This will complete what I have to say 
of the benefits to the individual of such 12 
a medical society as I have tried to pic- 
ture to you. 
Financially, at present, thanks to our 
careful Treasurer, it may be said we are 
strong enough to stand; and further it 
may be said, that it will be our own 
fault if our finances should prove a 
source of failure. If riches, generosity, 
and interest should ever meet together 
in our circle, as they often have done 
before in the history of medical societies 
in other cities, we will gain, as they 
have done, a yet firmer foot-hold. Until 
then we must wait upon our own hus- 
banded resources, always believing 
that the financial interest is an import- 
ant factor for success, and never to be 
lightly treated, or despised. 
Allusion has been made to the fact 
that the history of other medical 
societies should not be lost sight of in our 
deliberations. Permit me to instance two 
as illustrations. One which is confined to 
our State alone, and another in which our 
State is con nected as a part. These two far 
reaching and useful medical societies 
have both been driven from the higher 
plane of medical confraternities, to 
which in the beginning both aspired, 
principally by unwise financial miscalcu- 
lations. Money is the root of all evil, 
even in the supposed enchanted circle of 
medical societies. For the sake of an 
increased annual subscription, these two 13 
societies lowered their standard for 
admission, and hence have reduced their 
influence. 
If therefore you agree as to the lead- 
ing idea, or as to the mission of this 
Academy; if you agree that you seek for 
nothing within its circle, and ask for 
nothing outside of it, but its authorita- 
tive discrimination, or declaration, con- 
cerning the professional standing, or pro- 
ficiency of its members, then the course 
which is to be pursued hereafter is a per- 
fectly plain one. We accept this mis- 
sion and lose sight of the details of ac- 
tion which govern those other societies 
having a different aim. The authority 
implied by this trust is no easy responsi- 
bility. 
If it is not as clear to you as it is to 
me what is meant by an authorative 
medical society, so far as the Common- 
wealth is concerned, I will remind you 
by breaking my rule of naming a living 
man, and refer you to the recent com- 
memorative address of the President of 
theCollegeof Physiciansof Philadelphia, 
at their Centennial Anniversary on the 
3d of January. In it you will find that 
"The College was busy with private 
and public affairs, from the first. It 
urged the Legislature to create a 
botanic garden and public baths, and to 
limit the use of ardent spirits. It or- 
dered a committee to digest the busi- ness of a Pharmacopoeia. It gave most 
valuable advice during two epidemics,- 
two wars,-and in all affairs of public 
health and quarantine; it aided the law 
officers as to the sale and importation of 
pure drugs; it gave advice as to parks, 
water supply, education, drainage, and 
the many other problems which call for 
advice and direction from experts." 
In summing up all these things listen 
to the words which flowed from the 
scholarly pen of their President, Dr. S. 
Wier Mitchell. Words which cannot 
be too often repeated, for they contain 
facts and thoughts of which not only the 
physicians in our country, but through- 
out the world should be proud. 
"I close," (he said) "with satisfied pride 
these annals of the past, and its dead. 
I see about me men whose books are in 
every tongue of Europe, whose works are 
known and honored among the learned 
of every land, men who wear by just de- 
gree of their fellows the unseen crowns 
of honorable estimate. I see, too, the 
young in work, the men who are to fol- 
low us. To them we shall soon consign 
this precious heritage, the record ot a 
century of duty; an hundred years 
without one break in our meetings, save 
when pestilence thrust upon us a more 
imperative service. There is that in 
these years to make them proud of a fel- 
lowship which in war and in peace has 
14 left us examples of single-minded work* 
ers unknown to fame, of the charity 
without taint of selfishness, of heroic 
lives lost in battle with disease, of gentle 
scholars, of daring surgeons, whose very 
fingers seemed to think, of physicians 
rich with every professional grace. The 
pride of lineage is valueless which does 
not secure to the future vitality of use- 
fulness, and I must have told my story 
ill if to every physician who hears me 
its illustrations have not the invigorat- 
ing force of moral tonics. 
"I turn now from the present and face 
the silence of futurity. As earnestly as 
our first President,! pray with him that 
all those who sit around me, and all who 
are to come, do publicly and privately 
serve their generation. 
"Feeling, like him, the weight and dig- 
nity of my office, and to-day1 more than 
ever, I look onward thoughtfully to that 
next centennial time. Every heart that 
beats in this hall to-day will have ceased 
to pulsate. Another will stand in my 
place. Reviewing our works and lives, 
he will be able, I trust, to say as confi- 
dently of us as 1 have said of your 
fathers, these, too, belonged by right of 
dutiful lives and sincere work, to our 
great, undying brotherhood." 
Although we start a century later in 
human progress and affairs, than the 
College from which I have quoted, I 
15 16 
trust that the action which this Academy 
will now take may be blessed with suc- 
cess; that the pohcy which we now adopt 
may be one through which we too may 
look wisely into the silence of the 
future, that we may be firm and just, 
dignified, unyielding and vigilant, and 
that this Academy of our beloved Brother- 
hood doing good and noble deeds, may 
live forever and forever. 
As the acts, the teachings and the 
personal authority of individual men 
help to give a society collective power to 
interfere in public matters, it is reason- 
able to expect that this Academy, if 
the outline of its purposes and intents 
are successfully carried out, will be a 
Medical Society giving lustre as well as 
pleasure to its members;-and that it 
will be hereafter, in matters under its 
own jurisdiction, an authority, adding to 
the progress, the advancement, the 
happiness and general success of the 
Commonwealth.