WB 1 AN4 C2C3r 1896 31621460R NLM DSmfiflMD b NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE sseei $ SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE { $^"-C v W<^Ul<>t*/*- i*ZfcimzM*.w*zfc±z!*i® Section Shelf JVo. PRESENTED BY- !*-]&]*+ |^QB^3i53Qi53fiJ J *0 ^7 /J^?- NLM051488406 MU ru v """^ i V It; ■rfiJvW-^^-A^. , -Ml REPORT OF THE Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary OF THE CAMDEN DISTRICT MEDICAL SOCIETY, HELD IN CAMDEN, N. J., FEBRUARY 11, 1896. PUBLICATION AUTHORIZED BY THE SOCIETY. Jieprinted from the Transactions of New Jersey State Medical Society, 1896. NEWARK, N. J.: "^O^TryV • X L. J. Hardham, Printer, 243 & 245 Market Street.-V) A 4\ ^> Rr\r\C I A ClC3r \tff> NA/^B AN4- At the annual meeting of the Camden District Medical Society, held May 12, 1896, the Reporter of the Society, Dr. Daniel Strock, was instructed to prepare, and have published, a report of the exercises attending the celebra- tion of its Fiftieth Anniversary; and it is herewith pre- sented with the Society's compliments. f i THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 6AMDBN BlSTRieT FR&DieAL SeeiETY. The celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the organization* of the Camden District Medical Society was held in Camden, N. J., on the afternoon and evening of February u, 1896. The first official action taken by the Society, loking to a fitting commemoration of this important event in its history, was at the annual meeting held May 14, 1895, when the following resolution, introduced by Dr. John R. Stevenson, of Haddonfield, N. J., was unanimously passed : Resolved, That a special committee of seven members of this Society be appointed by the President, to report, at the next regular meeting, a suitable programme for the celebration, in 1896, of the fiftieth anniversary of the Society's formation. In accordance with the provisions of this resolution, the President, selected the following gentlemen to serve upon the committee: Drs. H. Genet Taylor, chairman; John R. Stevenson, Duncan W. Blake, Edmund L. B. Godfrey, Howard F. Palm, Henry H. Sherk and Benjamin S. Lewis. The committee held several meetings and formualted the following report, which was submitted to the Society at the semi-annual meeting, held November 12, 1895, and unanimously adopted: *The Camden District Medical Society was organized in Haddonfield, N. J., August 14, 1846. 4 Camden, N. J., November 12, 1895. To the Officers and Members of the District Medical Society of the County of Camden. Your committee, appointed to formulate a plan of celebration of the semi-centennial anniversary of the Society's organization, beg leave to submit the following report: The committee held three meetings, under the chairmanship of Dr. H. Genet Taylor, and carefully considered the subject referred to them, and unanimously agreed to recommend the following programme for the celebration: First. The celebration to take place on the date of the regular meeting of the Society, the second Tuesday in February, 1896. Second. The public exercises to be of a literary and musical char- acter, to begin at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and to take place in the Temple Theatre, in Camden, N. J. The committee further recommended that the following outline of programme be adopted: 1. Address of welcome, by the President. 2. Historical address, The District Medical Society of Camden County. 3. Historical address, The Medical Profession of Camden County. 4. Address on Modern Medicine. These addresses to be interspersed with music. Third. The Society, as a whole, to be photographed at some suit- able time and place during the afternoon. Fourth. A banquet to be served in the banqueting room of the Temple Building, at 6 o'clock in the evening. We recommend that this Society authorize the Committee of Ar- rangements to select the speakers to deliver the addresses. The committee also recommend the adoption of the following resolution: Resolved, That this Society celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of its organization on the second Tuesday in February, 1896, in accordance with the programme recommended by the committee. 5 Resolved, That a special committee of seven members be author- ized, to be appointed by the President, which shall have full power to arrange the details and programme. Respectfully submitted, H. Genet Taylor, John R. Stevenson, Edmund L. B. Godfrey, H. H. Sherk, Duncan W. Blake, Howard F. Palm, Benjamin S. Lewis, Committee. The President appointed as the Committee of Arrange- ments the seven gentlemen who had constituted the Special Committee. The Committee of Arrangements, after a free discus- sion, at a number of meetings, modified the programme outlined in the Special Committee's report to the Society, and eliminated the second and fourth addresses, but de- cided that the address-in-chief should be on the " Medi- cal Profession of Camden County," and Dr. Edmund L. B. Godfrey was invited to prepare and deliver it. Having accepted the invitation thus tendered, Dr. Godfrey deemed it incumbent upon himself to resign from the committe; but, by an unanimous vote of the members, he was requested to act as an ex-officio and advisory member. Dr. O. B. Gross, at one of the meetings, ap- peared before the committee and suggested that busts of two of the most prominent charter members of the Soci- ety be unveiled at the public exercises, with appropriate ceremonies; stating that the well-known sculptor, Franz M. Engdahl, would make and present the busts to the Society. The proposition meeting with the approval of the com- 6 mittee, it was decided that the deceased members thus to be honored should be Dr. Richard Matlack Cooper and Dr. Othniel Hart Taylor. It was further decided that the address of presentation of the bust of Dr. Cooper should be made by Dr. O. B. Gross, and the address of acceptance by Dr. James M. Ridge ; Dr. Benjamin S. Lewis should make the address of presentation of the bust of Dr. Othniel H. Taylor, and Dr. Daniel Strock the address of acceptance. The programme of public exercises at the Temple Theatre, as finally arranged, was as follows: Overture, " Anniversary," - Schlepegrell Prayer, - Rev. Albert G. Lawson, D. D. Address of Welcome, - - Alexander McAlister, M. D. Valse, '• A la Waldteufel,".....Tobani Address, " The Medical Profession of Camden County," - E. L. B. Godfrey, A. M., M. D. Caprice, " Heather Rose," ------- Lange Presentation of the Bust of the Late Richard Matlack Cooper, M. D. Address of Presentation, ... Onan B. Gross, M. D. Address of Acceptance, - James M. RlDGE, M. D. Selection, " Jay-See-Ko," - Laurendean Presentation of the Bust of the Late Othniel Hart Taylor, M. D. Address of Presentation, - - Benjamin, S. Lewis, M. D. Address of Acceptance, - Daniel Strock, M D. March " King Cotton," ---___. Sousa The arrangements for the banquet in the evening were completed by the Committee of Arrangements unani- mously selecting Dr. H. Genet Taylor as toastmaster for the occasion. This position Dr. Taylor declined, but recommended that Dr. Dowling Benjamin be invited to act as toastmaster, in which suggestion the committee unanimously acquiesced. 7 The Committee of Arrangements received a communi- cation from Mr. Richard H. Reeve, Secretary of the Board of Managers of the Cooper Hospital, extending an invitation to the Society and its guests, to partake of luncheon at the hospital at I o'clock on the afternoon of the celebration. The committee accepted this graci- ously-tendered invitation, and decided to avail them- selves of the opportunity thus afforded to utilize the hospital as a background for the group-photograph of the Society. In accordance with the regular notices and invitations sent out to members and invited guests by the Secre- tary, Dr. Benjamin S. Lewis, the Society convened at the Cooper Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, February u, 1896, and were met by the Reception Committee, con- sisting of Drs. William H. Iszard, William R. Powell and Orange W. Braymer, who introduced the members and guests to the Board of Managers of the hospital, com- posed as follows: President, Augustus Reeve; Secre- tary and Treasurer, Richard H. Reeve ; David M. Cham- bers, Rudolphus Bingham, Alexander C. Wood, Peter V. Voorhees, Esq., Richard M. Cooper and H. Genet Tay- lor, M. D. A pleasant half hour was passed in conversa- tion and examination of the hospital building, following which the Board of Managers ushered their guests into the banqueting room, where an elaborate luncheon was enjoyed. At the conclusion of the repast, the President of the Society called the members to order, and a resolu- tion was offered and unanimously passed, thanking the Board of Managers for their hospitality. Subsequently the members were grouped at an entrance to the hospital and photographed. The hour having arrived for the public exercises, the members and guests proceeded to the Temple Theatre, 8 where, in the presence of an audience that filled every available space in the auditorium, the ceremonies attend- ant upon the celebration proper of the fiftieth anniversary of the Society, were carried out. The sides of the stage were handsomely decorated with palms and potted plants; and conspicuous in the front, at either wing, were the busts of the two deceased members who, fifty years ago, were chiefly instrumental in organizing the Camden County Medical Society, and whose memory, on this oc- casion, it was designed to publicly and reverently honor. The members and guests met in the green room of the theatre and, under the marshalship of Dr. John F. Leavitt, marched in a body and took seats upon the stage, while the orchestra played an anniversary overture. The exercises were opened by the President introducing Rev. Albert G. Lawson, D. D., pastor of the North Bap- tist Church, of Camden, N. J., who offered the following INVOCATION. Let us pray. O God, our Father, before the worlds were formed, from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art our God; and, blessed be Thy name, more than our God—our Father. Grant that we, who are made in Thy likeness, may recognize and witness the truth that we are children of God. Let Thy blessing come to this Medical Society. We thank Thee for their organization; we thank Thee for the Jubilee year into which Thou hast brought them. Glorify Thy name in their service to man's interests. Give them a holy scorn for sham ; give them an earnest purpose always to seek the truth ; give them determiniation of heart sufficient to probe until they find the cause of things ; give them wisdom to act in such manner as to re- move every root and branch of that which causeth injury and suffer- ing ; and do Thou grant, O Savior, physician of mind, and of spirit as well as of body, Thy richest grace upon each member of this Society, in his service to humanity, and upon all kindred organizations, that they may hasten the day when every man and woman on the globe shall seek the example of these men, and those of their office, in seek- ing to restore, to regenerate, to rebuild, to bring men out of weakness 9 and littleness and suffering into wholeness and power, and honor unto God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. At the conclusion of the prayer, the President of the Society, delivered the ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO THE PUBLIC. Ladies and Gentlemen: A few days ago I learned, with dis- may, that I had been selected to open these exercises in commemora- tion of the semi-centennial anniversary of the Camden District Medi- cal Society, and while I am fearful as to the consequences upon you, I shall not offer you any apology for my appearance in this relation since I had nothing to do with the selection of myself for this post. While I am here solely in an introductory capacity, I cannot refrain from saying something about the medical profession in general, and this occasion in particular. I shall not pose as a champion for my profession, for it not only needs no champion but is abundantly able to show fruits worthy of commendation. I desire rather to point out what, in my judgment, is the wider influence of the physician, or—in plain English—the physician's place in the community as a socializing and civilizing force. Few of you will take issue with me when I speak of medicine as a science, but some of you will smile indulgently, or perhaps incredu- ously, when I claim for medicine pre-eminence among all the sciences* It may seem natural, however, for me, a physician, to make this claim, and I do make it, not so much out of pride in my profession as out of belief that it is justified by the best and greatest results of human re- search. Let us glance at the results of physiological research : There is scarcely an operation or movement in the human organism that does not exemplify mechanical, chemical and, perhaps, electrical forces, too. These operations of the organism—the mutual depend- ence, action and reaction of the innumerable vessels, ducts, muscles and nerves, and the close connection of the mental with the physical — show startling analogies between natural truth and revealed truth. There is not a single moral law that is not exemplified and justified by the operations of the human organism. Would you learn whether the universe has a purpose and a design? look at the symmetry andi unity of the human frame. Would you learn the great law of religion- 10 and the secret of social peace, as expressed in the commandment, " Love one another?" gaze upon the mutual dependence and mutual helpfulness of the parts of man's organism. See the economy of power that results from unity of purpose. Would you learn whether there is any retribution on earth for infraction of the moral law ? scrutinize with the physician the frame of a man who has given free reign to his passions, and then believe that "Whatsoever a man soweth, that also shall he reap." or, as Huxley expressed it, "The penalty for violation of the moral law is as certain and inevitable as the penalty for violation of physical law." Here, in this mortal frame, see the universe with its purpose, design, unity, system and sym- metry; all directed by some great outside Power, from whence ema- nates the spirit of life. But, what has all this to do with medicine ? you may say. Well, medicine is based upon knowledge of physiology. Man alone, of all God's creatures, needs to study himself in order to preserve or recover his bodily health. None of our untaught faculties, senses or instincts are sufficient guides to good, or guards against evil. The acuteness of our senses is never proportionate to the importance of the things we observe by means of them. We have a keener sense of the tempera- ture of the atmosphere than of its fitness for breathing; yet the tem- perature affects only our comfort, while the composition of the atmos- phere affects our very life. We have a keener sense of hunger than of the fitness of our food. We learn how to preserve our health or get rid of our physical ailments only by experience and the exercise of -our understandings. And hence the creation of medicine as a special study, the development of its auxiliary branches, and the voluntary setting apart of a portion of the community for the pursuit of these studies. It may be urged that physicians do not devote as much time and thought to the prevention of disease as to the cure of it. That claim is without any foundation, in fact, as any intelligent reader knows. Your most active observers and earnest students of sanitary law are physicians. The evils that follow in the wake of great mechanical and industrial improvements are many and terrible, and the physician, with his knowledge of sanitary law, is as necessary to the community as the social scientist and the statesman. This assertion will be bet- ter understood when we reflect how surely moral degradation and death thrive under imperfect physical conditions. As the bodies of II men degenerate, so their minds degenerate in moral and physical power. In building up physical conditions, the physician is laying foundations for sound mentality, or providing sound bodies for sound minds, and thus he is a co-laborer with the educator, and he claims equal consideration with the educator from the intelligent public. And now, having told you why we are proud of our profession, and having given you an intimation of the reasons for our banding our- selves together in medical societies, I bid you all welcome to the fiftieth anniversary of the Camden District Medical Society. The address was followed by music, by the orchestra, at the conclusion of which the President introduced Dr. E. L. B. Godfrey, the Corresponding Secretary of the New Jersey Medical Society, who delivered the principal address of the occasion, entitled : THE MEDICAL PROFESSION OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.* Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : We are assembled to-day to celebrate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Camden County Medical Society. Custom has happily designated this occasion as a golden one; and, in this era of change and vicissitude, fortunate, in- deed, is that association which is permitted to celebrate its golden anniversary. Yet, in truth, " The horologe of Time, Strikes the half century with a solemn chime, And summons us together once again, The joy of meeting not unmixed with pain." Of the little band who, fifty years ago, first met in the village of Haddonfield and, afterwards, at the old hotel of Israel English at Cooper and Front Streets, Camden, to organize the " District Medical Society for the County of Camden, in the State of New Jersey," as * The chief facts in this address are taken from the author's " History of the Medical Profession of Camden County, New Jersey," published by F. A. Davis Publishing Co., Philadelphia, January, 1896. 12 the record quaintly states, not one is present. Doctors Thornton, Risley, Taylor, Cooper, Hendry and Mulford, the pioneers in county medical organization, and the champions of medical progress—alas ! " They are no longer here; they are all gone Into the land of shadows." One link alone remains between these early meetings and ourselves, in the person of Dr. Daniel M. Stout, who enjoys the double honor of being the first member admitted by election to the District Society, and the senior member on its fiftieth anniversary. The task of his- torian, assigned to me on this auspicious occasion, is one that, at best, can be but imperfectly fulfilled by mortal pen. " The fifty years since first we met, Seem to me fifty folios bound and set By Time, the great transcriber, on his shelves, Wherein are written the histories of ourselves. What .tragedies, what comedies are there : What joy and grief, what rapture and despair ! Whose hand shall dare to open and explore These volumes, closed and clasped forevermore ?" My task, however, is to briefly trace the main incidents in the his- tory of the medical profession of Camden County, and to recite the honorable relations which the profession, and especially this Society, sustains to the affairs of the city, county and State, and to the medi- cal world at large. To properly estimate these relations, it is neces- sary to turn back and consider briefly the forerunners of the present members of the profession, and the circumstances under which they practiced in the district now known as Camden County. West Jersey had a distinctive settlement. The era of its develop- ment was the era of politico-religious ferment in England, which pre- ceded the restoration of the House of Stuart, and witnesses the triumphs of Oliver Cromwell. It was the time when Republican was pitted against Royalist, Puritan against Cavalier, and Protestant against Catholic. In this historic conflict, when all men claimed to be theologians, there arose a new religious sect, under the leadership of George Fox, who promulgated the doctrine of Divine guidance by the Inner Light, and preached " freedom of conscience, purity of life, and the equality of man." Religious persecution drove these peaceful 13 Friends to America. In the closing half of the seventeenth century 4hey settled in West Jersey,* and established a form of government which, in point of religious and political freedom, surpassed any of that period, save, perhaps, that of the colony of Roger Williams, in Rhode Island. In comparison with the Puritans of New England, ;the Knickerbockers of New York, the Catholics of Maryland, the Cavaliers of Virginia, the Huguenots of the Carolinas, and the Creoles of Louisiana, their system of government stands unexcelled and their private life unsurpassed. From this migration of Friends, in 1675, dates the civilization of West Jersey. Physicians of prominence came with them, whose deeds of benevolence illuminate, with all the splen- dor of the " Golden Rule," those pioneer days of struggle, for life or death, with untamed Nature. Chief among the medical men of that period, history points with conscious pride to the eminent physician, Dr. Daniel Wills, whose blood flows in the veins of one of our mem- bers whose presence graces this anniversary to-day. As the civilization of West Jersey developed, the independence of the people increased with the freedom of pioneer life. This people flourished under the influence of American liberty, and when the star of the Revolution arose, resplendent with the fire of patriotism, none contributed more loyal support to the infant government, both in the councils of the nation and in the battalions of the army, than the medical profession of West Jersey. Following the Revolution, the Medical Society of New Jersey was incorporated, and Old Gloucester County, of which Camden County was then a part, furnished two charter members, in the persons of Dr. Benjamin Tallman, of Haddonfield, and Dr. James Stratton, of Swedesboro. In 1816, district, or county, medical societies were established, and when, in 1844, Camden Countyt was set apart from Old Gloucester, the profession of the new county embraced the oppor- tunity to organize this Society, whose golden anniversary we meet to .celebrate to-day. Scarcely can the outlines of the great work of fifty years be traced in the brief period which your patience permits me to * Salem, Burlington and Newton were the original settlements of the Friends of West Jersey. Fenwick founded Salem in 1675 I Burlington was settled in 1677, and Newton in 1682. t Camden County was set apart from Old Gloucester County, by legislative enactment, March 13, 1844. H occupy. Your attention is only called, therefore, to the profession in its relations, I. To medical societies. 2. To medical and charitable institutions. 3. To the public in times of devastating epidemics. 4. To State legislation. 5. To military affairs. 6. To political affairs. 7. To literature and education. 1.—the relation of the profession to medical societies. The relationship that the medical profession of Camden County sustains to medical societies—international, national, state and county —is unexcelled by that of any county in the State. The progressive spirit that has kept our Society in close touch with modern scientific methods and insisted upon a firm stand for the dignity and high ideals of professional life, has led to this close relationship. Some of the men who helped to gain this honorable reputation for our Society have passed away, but more remain to join with us in this felicitous commemoration. Dr. James M. Ridge served as a member of the Fifth International Medical Congress in 1876; Doctors H. Genet Taylor, James M. Ridge, John W. Donges, Onan B. Gross, Alexander McAlister and others, were members of the Ninth International Congress, in 1887, and this Society and the Medical Department of the National Guard of this State, were represented in the Pan-American Medical Congress of 1884, by the appointment of one of your members as a delegate. The American Medical Association,* whose organization has broad- ened the foundations and secured the autonomy of the medical pro- fession of the United States, was born in the year following the form- ation of our County Society, and Doctors Richard M. Cooper and Othniel H. Taylor stood among the sponsors at its christening. Our Society has witnessed, with increasing interest, its growth from in- fancy to maturity, and Doctors Othniel H. Taylor, Richard M. Cooper, John W. Snowden, Thomas F. Cullen, John V. Schenck, Charles D. Hendry, H. Genet Taylor, James M. Ridge, D. Parish Pancoast, Isaac *The American Medical Association was organized in Philadelphia in 1847, upon a call issued for a meeting of delegates from medical societies and colleges. throughout the United States by the New York State Medical Society. 15 B. Mulford, Dowling Benjamin, Onan B. Gross, William A. Davis,. Alexander McAlister, Howard F. Palm, John F. Leavitt and others, have been enrolled as permanent members and have contributed materially to its success. In the Medical Society of New Jersey,* the profession of this county has exerted a weighty influence in scientific discussion; in shaping medical legislation and in defining the medical policy of the State. In recognition of this service, Doctors Othniel H. Taylor, Rich- M. Cooper, Thomas F. Cullen, John V. Schenck, John W. Snowden and H. Genet Taylor have received the honor of its presidency ; Doc- tors Isaac S. Mulford, Bowman Hendry, 2d, Richard M. Cooper, Ellis P. Townsend and William H. Iszard have served as members of its Standing Committee; Doctors Thomas F. Cullen, John V. Schenck, H. Genet Taylor, John R. Stevenson, Dowling Benjamin and others of of this body have been appointed Essayists, and the office of Cor- responding Secretary is now held by a member of this Society. In the New Jersey Sanitary Association^ the representatives from this county have proved foremost in their efforts to advance sanitary science. Two members of this Society have served as President, one of whom was Dr. Dowling Benjamin. Dr. Daniel Strock has served as Secretary and Chairman of the Executive Council, and Doctors Wil- liam A. Davis, Henry E. Branin, Orange W. Braymer, William Shafer, Benjamin S. Lewis, William H. Iszard, James A. Walmsley and others are active members. In the New Jersey Historical Society,:[ Dr. John R. Stevenson and Dr. H. Genet Taylor are enrolled as members. The Military Order of Surgeons of New Jersey,§ was conceived and carried to successful fruition by a medical officer of the National Guard of this city, who subsequently became President of the Order, and Assistant Surgeon- General of the State. Dr. Daniel Strock is now serving as Secretary, and Doctors H. Genet Taylor, Orange W. Braymer and Wilson Gill Bailey are prominent members. * The Medical Society of New Jersey was organized July 23, 1766, at New Brunswick, as a voluntary association, and was incorporated June 2, 1790. fThe New Jersey Sanitary Association was organized at Newark, N. J., October 13, 1875. tThe New Jersey Historical Society was organized at Trenton, N. J., Janu- ary 13, 1845. §The Military Order of Surgeons of New Jersey was organized May 12,1882. i6 The profession of Camden County has equally distinguished itself in its own home and is a living refutation of the ancient proverb, that '•A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country." The origin and steady growth of the Camden District Medical Soci- ety* is owing to the energy and devotion of Doctors O. H. Taylor, R. M. Cooper, C. D. Hendry, I. S. Mulford. J. P. Thornton and J. S. Risley, who effected an organization whose broad foundations will not only uphold the growth of another fifty years, but whose record sparkles with all the brilliancy of modern medical science and surgical art. This Society has watched over and preserved the public health ; it has advanced the methods of medical practice ; it has elevated the standard of medical education ; it has strengthened the reputation of the county in knowledge, character and public spirit, and it has con- tributed in innumerable ways to the common good. It exhibits a generous hospitality to the young physician and the " stranger within its gates," by inviting them to its meetings to share both its "feasts of reason," and its more material social banquets. So important to our Society did the "Nestor of our Profession," Dr. Cooper, deem these hospitable, social occasions, that he bequeathed to the Society a legacy of $3,000, for their maintenance. Not less important to its success has been its close affiliation with the State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Twice has the State Society accepted the invitation of our County Society to meet in Camden; the first meeting occuring during the vice-presidency of Dr. Othniel A. Taylor, in 1849, and the second in 1864, when Dr. Cooper paid the expenses of the entire entertainment. Time fails me to enumerate the scientific papers and the reports of skillful surgery of its members, and the many instances in which they have distinguished themselves by their progressive spirit and high standard; but the fact that its ranks have furnished the State Medical Society with six presidents, six essayists, five members of the Stand- * The District Medical Society of the County of Camden was organized at Haddonfield, New Jersey, August 14, 1846, under a warrant from the New Jersey Medical Society, dated May 12, 1846, and issued to the following licensed physi- cians and surgeons : Jacob P. Thornton , Richard M. Cooper, James S. Risley, Charles D. Hendry, Othniel H. Taylor and Isaac S. Mulford. The following officers were elected at the above meeting : President, James S. Risley, M. D.; Vice-President, Othniel H. Taylor, M. D.; Secretary, Richard M. Cooper, M. D.; Treasurer, Jacob P. Thornton, M. D. 17 ing Committee and one secretary, speaks volumes for the estimation in which our Society is held throughout the State. Not a little of its high character is due to Dr. H. Genet Taylor, who served as its Secre- tary for a quarter of a century, and whose resignation was made the occasion for the presentation of a silver service. The Camden City Medical Society* may well be called the younger sister of the County Society. Between the two organizations there has, necessarily, existed an intimate relation, due to the fact that a majority of the profession belonging to the County Society have been also members of the City Society. Nevertheless, it fills a distinct sphere of usefulness. The growth of the profession in Camden ; the inter- val between the meetings of the County Society ; the need of a closer intercourse between the medical fraternity,—all demanded a City Society. It was organized by Doctors Othniel H. Taylor, Lorenzo F. Fisler, Richard M. Cooper, Sylvester Birdsell, Thomas F. Cullen and John V. Schenck, in June, 1853. This Society has enriched the com- mon fund of medical knowledge by its monthly meetings, strength- ened the character of the profession by mutual contact, and built up the public health of the city, for which latter purpose it has. on more than one occasion, received plenary powers from City Council, to exe- cute any sanitary measure it deemed needful for the public good. Doc- tors Richard M. Cooper and Isaac B. Mulford donated to the City Society their valuable medical libraries, by will, and these collections, together with the portraits of Doctors Fisler, Taylor, Cullen, Coates and Robinson, adorn the handsome rooms of the Society, in the building of the Camden City Dispensary. The Cooper Medical Club.t an organization named in honor of Dr. * The Camden City Medical Society was organized in the city of Camden, June 2, 1853, by the following physicians : Lorenzo F. Fisler, Isaac S. Mulford, Othniel H. Taylor, Richard M. Cooper, Thomas F. Cullen, John V. Schenck and Sylvester Birdsell. t The Cooper Medical Club was organized January 13, 1894. The following gentlemen comprise the membership : Doctors H. Genet Taylor, Alexander M. Mecray, William A. Davis, Dowling Benjamin, Onan B. Gross, Daniel Strock, Joseph H. Wills, George Taylor Robinson, D. Parish Pancoast, John F. Walsh, Harry Jarrett, E. A. Y. Schellenger, Frederick W. Marcy, Joseph L. Nicholson, Paul M. Mecray, Orange W. Braymer, Joseph S. Baer and E. L. B. Godfrey, of Camden ; B. W. Macfarland, of Bordentown ; J. Howard Frick, of Pleasant- ville ; S. F. Ashcraft, of Mullica Hill; William Martin, of Bristol, Pa.; G. Hudson McCuen, of Philadelphia; J. D. Farrar, of Baltimore, and J. R. Noel, of Chicago. i8 Richard M. Cooper, and exclusively composed of those physicians who have served, or are now serving, as members of the Cooper Hos- pital Attending Staff and as Resident Physicians, includes a number of the prominent practitioners of the county, and, though but three years old, has acquired a distinctive position in the community and among the profession. II.—THE RELATION OF THE PROFESSION TO MEDICAL AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. The great charities of the world usually owe their success, and their ability to benefit the public, largely to the direct efforts of the medical profession. This statement applies with particular force to Camden. The Cooper Hospital and the Camden City Dispensary were both established through the direct intervention of physicians, and the various charitable institutions of the city are all, more or less, indebted to the profession for valuable services. However much in medicine the doctors disagree, They all unite with one accord in deeds of charity. The Cooper Hospital* was founded through the benevolence, wis- dom and forethought of Dr. Richard M. Cooper; it has been enriched by the munificent gifts of the Cooper family, and it bears their hon- ored family name. Although Dr. Cooper died without leaving any specific bequest for hospital purposes, yet his appreciation of the need of a hospital for Camden was so frequently expressed to his family, that his twin brother, William D. Cooper, appointed a Board of Trustees, among whom was Dr. Thomas F. Cullen, to devise a plan for such an institution. An act of incorporation was secured in 1875, after which the Cooper family, with a generosity rarely paralleled, donated the ground upon which the hospital now stands, together with such liberal bequests as to provide, not only for the erection of the building, but also for its future maintenance, without expense to the city. The hospital was fully equipped and opened to the public in 1887, and an Attending Staff was appointed. Standing in the centre of our city, which it adorns with its spacious lawns and crowns with its imposing architecture, it throws the broad *The Cooper Hospital was incorporated March 24, 1875, and opened to the public August 11, 1887. *9 mantle of its protecting charity over the poor and needy, and wel- comes yearly to the shelter of its wards and to the skillful ministra- tions of its staff, more than twelve thousand of the sick and suffering. Of the original staff, Doctors. D. Parish Pancoast, J. Francis Walsh and Joseph H. Wills have resigned, and Dr. George Taylor Robinson has died. The Attending Staff now consists of the following: physicians, Doctors Genet Taylor, Alexander M. Mecray, William A. Davis and E. L. B. Godfrey; surgeons, Doctors Onan B. Gross, Daniel Strock, Joseph L. Nicholson and Orange W. Braymer; gynecologists, Doctors Dowling Benjamin and Joseph S. Baer; obstetrician, Dr. Dowling Benjamin; ophthalmologist, Dr. William R. Powell; pathologist, Dr. Paul M. Mecray. Dr. H. Genet Taylor is also a member of the Board of Trustees. Doctors Harry Jarrett, Frederick W. Marcy, E. A. Y. Schel-lenger, J. K. F. Stites, J. Howard Frick, Rowland I. Haines and Paul M. Mecray have served as resident physicians. The opening of the Cooper Hospital marked an era in the medical history of Camden County. Previous to 1887, the majority of cases of major surgery were sent to Philadelphia for operative treatment, but after the establishment of the Cooper Hospital, its wards were daily filled, and its staff was confronted with the gravest medical and surgical problems of the day, which have been solved with almost unvarying success. The surgical death-rate of the Cooper Hospital is far below that of the majority of hospitals in large cities, and the percentage of cures, in fever cases, is unsurpassed by any hospital in America. Every facility for practicing the latest treatment in aseptic and antiseptic medicine, surgery and gynecology, has been afforded the staff by the Board of Trustees, whose published reports reflect the highest honor upon the efficiency of the institution, and whose management illuminates, with its wise benevolence and unstinted charity, the dark depths of suffering among the poor of our city. Following the close of the Civil War, the surplus funds of the North Ward Bounty Association* were devoted to the founding of a dispensary, through the efforts of Colonel Thomas McKeen and Mr. Samuel B. Garrison. Such an institution had long been a favorite project of the profession of Camden, and the opportunity offered was quickly utilized. *The North Ward Bounty Association was organized in Camden, Decem- ber 9, 1864, to provide substitutes for those unable, or unwilling, to enter the United States Army. 20 In 1866 the Camden City Dispensary* was instituted and in- corporated in 1867, with the following members: Doctors Othniel H. Taylor, Isaac S. Mulford, Richard M. Cooper, Lorenzo F. Fisler, Thomas F. Cullen, John V. Schenck, William S. Bishop, Alexander Marcy, Bowman Hendry, 2d, James M. Ridge, H. Genet Taylor and John R. Stevenson. Dr. Othniel H. Taylor was elected President; Dr. Lorenzo F. Fisler, Vice-President; Dr. John R. Stevenson, Secre- tary, and Dr. Richard M. Cooper, Treasurer. For twenty-nine years the Dispensary has afforded inestimable relief to thousands of the suffering poor of Camden. It is impossible to give the long list of physicians who have served upon its Board of Managers, its Attending Staff and as district physicians and internes. Especial mention should be made, however, of the long and valuable service of President Maurice Browning, who has occupied the chair since 1887 ; of Dr. H. Genet Taylor, who has filled the office of Secretary since 1875, and of the late Othniel G. Taylor, who was pharmacist of the Dispensary from its organization until 1886, a period of twenty-one years. City Council has made annual appropriations to the Dispensary for the relief of the indigent sick, since 1869, and the institution has received legacies from Dr. Richard M. Cooper and several members of the Cooper family. Doctors Thomas F. Cullen and Alexander Marcy have served as Presidents, and Dr. Cooper was Secretary from 1868 to 1875. With the Camden Home for Friendless Children,! the West Jersey Orphanage,^ and the Camden Day Nursery,§ the physicians of the county have been prominently connected. Doctors H. Genet Taylor, *The following physicians and surgeons comprise the Consulting and Attend- ing Staff of the dispensary for 1896: Consulting Staff, physicians, H. Genet Taylor, A. M. Mecray, W. A. Davis, J. M. Ridge and E. L. B. Godfrey; surgeons, O. B. Gross, J. H. Wills, Daniel Strock, O. W. Braymer and W. R. Powell. At- tending Staff, physicians, J. G. Doron, M. M. Osmun, W. W. Kain and M. K. Mines; surgeons, J. F. Stock, E. D. Phelan, F. L. Horning and P. M. Mecray ; gynecologists, B. S. Lewis, G. E. Kirk, L. B. Hirst and Amy Ames; oculists and aurists, Robert Casperson, F. N. Robinson and E. A. Y. Schellenger; der- matologist, etc., W. E. Miller, F. N. Robinson and R. I. Haines; pathologist, W. S. Bray; district physicians, W. H. Pratt and W. E. Miller; microscopist, W. S. Bray, and pharmacist, T. J. W. Phillips. t The Camden Home for Friendless Children was incorporated April 6, 1865. 1 The West Jersey Orphanage was chartered in 1874, and opened for the re- ception of colored children, February, 1875. §The Camden Day Nursery. Association was organized April 14, 1890. 21 William R. Powell, George Taylor Robinson, Alexander McAlister, Orange W. Braymer, E. A. Y. Schellenger, John G. Doron, William H. Pratt and Joseph L. Nicholson have given their services to the Children's Home; Doctors Isaac B. Mulford, Sophia Presley and Alex- ander McAlister have performed valuable services for the Orphanage, and Dr. Dowling Benjamin for the Camden Day Nursery. III.—THE RELATION OF THE PROFESSION TO THE PUBLIC IN TIMES OF DEVASTATING EPIDEMICS. It is said that the darkest cloud has always a silver lining, and through the murky mists of noisome pestilence there often shines, with radiant glow, the noble self-sacrifice, fearless courage and tire- less devotion of heroic doctors and undaunted nurses. Six times have the heavy shadows of epidemic fevers hung heavy over our devoted county, and on each occasion, the brave devotion to duty of our professional brethren has stayed the hand of the avenging angel and withheld from greedy Death the greater portion of his intended victims. Previous to the erection of Camden County, Dr. Othniel H. Taylor, then a resident of Philadelphia, rendered such effective service to the government of that city, in the cholera epidemic of 1832, that he was rewarded with a service of silver for "intrepid and distinguished service." In the cholera epidemics of 1832, 1849 and I854, the medical profession of Camden County won golden opinions from both city officials and the people, but it remained for the cholera epidemic of 1866 to obtain for our profession the confidence of the municipal government of Camden to such an extent that the City Medical Society was given plenary powers over sanitary matters within the city, and was " authorized to execute any measure deemed needful to resist an invasion of cholera." Dr. John R. Stevenson served as chairman of the committee to execute this measure, and so effective was the service rendered that but thirty-nine cases of the malady occurred in Camden, when it was disastrously present in other parts of the State. In 1871, an epidemic of small-pox occurred in Camden, in which there were more than one thousand cases. The sanitary committee of City Council took charge of the epidemic; erected a small-pox hospital and placed it under the supervision of Dr. Randal W. Morgan, who did more than any one to subdue the epidemic, and received the grateful praise of both the profession and the people of 22 the county. In 1880, small-pox again broke out in Camden and assumed the character of a general epidemic, in which six hundred and eighty-eight cases were reported. During the year 1880, and up to July, 1881, one hundred and forty-four deaths from small-pox in Camden were recorded in the office of the State Board of Health. Vaccination and quarantine were tardily enforced ; our municipal authorities seemed unable to recognize the importance of the epidemic and permitted five months to pass before erecting a temporary hos- pital. The epidemic began in February and the hospital was erected in July, after repeated requests from the physicians. In this epidemic, Doctors Clarence M. Schellenger and John W. Donges did noble work. Dr. Schellenger took charge of the hospital, under the super- vision of the sanitary committee of City Council, and Dr. Donges at this supervised the transportation of subjects to the hospital. Dr. Donges, time, was a member of City Council, and so highly were his services appreciated, that Council, in April, 1881, passed and ordered engrossed, resolutions reciting their appreciation of his services and their heartfelt thanks "for his indefatigable, self-sacrificing and success- ful efforts to obliterate the loathsome disease that infested our city." During this year, also, the most extensive epidemic of typhus fever that Camden county has ever known, broke out at the Almshouse, at Blackwood, where one hundred and three of the inmates were stricken, a condition largely due to the over-crowded buildings and imperfect system of ventilation. Doctors Joseph W. McCullough and Henry E. Branin were the physicians in charge. Breathing out a con- tagion of deadly virulence, this epidemic stalked forth, at noon-time and midnight, and smothered in its murderous embrace, not only three-score, unremembered paupers, but also the steward, the matron and several assistants, and, most calamitous of all, the gallant physic- ian. Dr. McCullough. Entering upon this battle with disease, with a courage that knew no danger and with a skill that feared no defeat, just as he was about to drive back the invader and grasp the laurels of victory, this brave physician, Dr. McCullough, " The young and strong, who cherished Noble longings for the strife, By the roadside fell and perished, Weary with the march of life." The vacancy caused by the death of Dr. McCullough was filled by Dr. Joseph E. Hurff, who, with Dr. Henry E. Branin, carried the issue to triumphant victory. In recognition of the distinguished services of 23 these gentlemen, the Camden County Medical Society, in 1884, passed resolutions " expressive of their bravery, skill and devotion to duty, during the deadly epidemic." Let me pause here a moment. It may be difficult for some to understand the courage, the devotion and the self-sacrifice involved in facing the dangers of these epidemics. To attend typhus fever con- tinually means death in the majority of instances, and death in its most unrelenting form. You stand in admiration of the soldier who, in the midst of battle, " Seeks the bubble reputation at the cannon's mouth." You look with wonder upon the sailor who, in storm and battle, " Sings of the dangers of the sea." You hang with ecstasy upon the lips of the statesman who speaks with golden tongue, "The applause of listening Senates.to command !" You appreciate the efforts made to perpetuate the memory of soldier, sailor and statesman in enduring brass or monumental marble, but the man who, in the silent watches of the night, amid the noiseless yet deadly contagion of pestilence, went from cot to cot, from ward to ward, with "an eye keen as an eagle's, a heart bold as a lion's, and a hand gentle as a woman's," unmarked by the heedless multitude, though tenderly watched by omniscient God—what have you done to honor him ? The dead are past our help and past our praise. Nothing that we can do will add to their glory or detract from their fame. But the medical profession owe it to themselves, the Board of Free- holders owe it to justice, the people of Camden County owe it to humanity, to erect a tablet at the almshouse to perpetuate the heroic services of Dr. Joseph W. McCullough in this devastating epidemic. In 1895, an epidemic of diphtheria arose at the West Jersey Orphan- age and infected nineteen of the inmates. Dr. Alexander McAlister, the physician in charge, alive to the importance of the occasion and familiar with the discoveries of modern medical science, promptly employed the famous antitoxin treatment. The results were extra- ordinarily successful, a cure having been effected in every case in which the antitoxin was administered. IV.—THE RELATION OF THE PROFESSION TO STATE LEGISLATION. In matters of medical legislation within the State, the profession of this county has taken an active interest. In 1849, Dr. Othniel H. 24 Taylor delivered an address before the State Medical Society, urging the adoption of still higher ideals in its censorship over applicants for admittance to the profession. This address became historic in the annals of medical legislation in New Jersey, and excited the most vigorous opposition from medical colleges of New York and Philadel- phia, which, however, secured, in 1854, a legislative Act admitting their graduates to medical practice within this State without examina- tion and license from the State Medical Society. A special meeting of the State Society was called, chiefly at the request of this Society, to adopt measures asking the Legislature for a repeal of the law in the interest of higher medical education. In this meeting, Dr. Othniel H. Taylor, as a Fellow, and Dr. Richard M. Cooper, as a member of the Standing Committee, took leading parts. The request was denied by the Legislature. In 1866, the State Society was reorganized, its examining privileges surrendered and a new charter was secured. Dr. Cooper served on the Committee on Reorganization. Fcom 1854 to 1880, no restrictive measures existed in this State over medical practice, but in the latter year illegal medical practice was made a misdemeanor. It remained for the establishment of the State Board of Medical Examiners, in 1890, in the institution of which Doctors Dowling Benjamin and Onan B. Gross took an active part, and of which a member of this Society is now Secretary, to clear New Jersey of charlatans and quacks.* * In 1772 the Medical Society of New Jersey secured a colonial enactment, providing for the licensing of physicians by Justices of the Supreme Court, of the Colony of New Jersey, after an examination by a Board of Physicians selected by the Court This was the first medical law enacted within the Colony of New Jersey. In 1783, this law was re-enacted by the State of New Jersey, and, in 1790, the Medical Society of New Jersey was incorporated. In 1816, the Society was re-incorporated, and provision was made for District Societies and for the nomination of censors in District Societies ; for the examination of applicants for medical license, and the granting of their license by the President of the State Society. In 1818, the censors were made the appointees of the State Society. In 1830, the former method of appointing censors was adopted. In 1844 four cen- sors were appointed for each District Society, for the examination of medical can- didates. In 1866, the State Society was reorganized, and the censors abolished, because of the liberality of the medical enactments of 1851 and 1854. From 1866 to 1880, there were no legal restrictions governing medical practice in New Jersey. In 1880, registration of diplomas was required in the office of the County Clerks, who, in 1883, were required to make annual returns of such to the State Board of Health. In 1890, the State Board of Medical Examiners was estab. lished. 25 V.—THE RELATION OF THE PROFESSION TO MII.ITARV AFFAIRS. During the Civil War, the medical profession of Camden County rendered the Government efficient service, both in the battalions of the Army and in the squadrons of the Navy. In this great conflict, through which the sovereignty of the National Government became a settled fact, New Jersey was not only the first State to place a bri- gade of troops at the disposal of President Lincoln, but also con- tributed more than any other State, at that time, (1861), and in that particular, to the support of the Federal cause. The first gun of the Confederacy was fired at Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861. The first call of the President upon the loyal States for troops was made on April 15, and scarcely had its echo died away ere the trained battalions of the New Jersey Brigade were organized,* and marshalled at Wash- ington, under the panoply of " grim-visaged war," where, by the majesty of their presence, they drove back the traitors to " the Old Virginia shore." The Army of the Potomac was organized under command of General Scott; entered Virginia May 24; engaged the Confederates at Bull Run, June 1, and met with almost ruinous de- feat. In this engagement, the New Jersey Brigade was held as a reserve. The Fourth Regiment was commanded by our distinguished townsman, Colonel Matthew Miller, on whose staff Dr. Elijah B. Woolston, our confrere, served as major and surgeon. During the enlistment of the brigade, Dr. Woolston acquired the martial spirit that subsequently led to his appointment on the staff of the United States Military Hospital, at Beverly.f Following the battle of Bull Run, the giant monster of Rebellion stretched forth its sanguinary arms to embrace the whole country. The Government became appalled at the magnitude of its task, and requisition after requisition for troops was made by the President upon the loyal States. Filled with a patriotism that drew its inspiration from the historic fields of Princeton, Trenton and Monmouth, New Jersey responded with alacrity to the Federal demand, and began the organization of the First and Second Brigades, whose prowess has made our State forever famous. The rapid growth of the Rebellion demanded a stronger and firmer hand to direct the Federal forces and *The New Jersey Brigade was organized April 27, and reported for duty, under General Runyon, at Washington, May 6, 1861. t The United States Military Hospital at Beverly was established June 29, 1864, with2,560 beds, and maintained until August, 1865. 26 General Scott, the aged chieftain of the Mexican War, was succeeded in the command of the Army of the Potomac by General George B. McClellan. The army was reorganized ; brigades were combined into divisions and divisions into corps, and, in March, 1862, the march to Richmond began by way of the Peninsula between the York and James Rivers. The Peninsular campaign surpassed, in its hardships and severity, any that had preceded it upon this continent. Who can recite the terrors of the march from Yorktown to Malvern Hill, or tell the story of those seven days of continuous battle ? History applauds the discipline and bravery of the legions of McClellan ; yet, marvellous to relate, this army fled in dismay before the enemy, when in sight of the domes of the Confederate Capitol. Partly because of this un- fortunate issue, and also from a desire to protect the Federal Capitol, President Lincoln recalled the army of McClellan to the vicinity of Washington, and the Peninsular campaign, so auspiciously begun in April, ended in failure in July. In this campaign the surgeons from Camden County rendered im- portant service. In the First Brigade, Fourth Regiment, Dr. Bowman Hendry, 3d, served as first lieutenant and assistant surgeon. In the Second Brigade, Eighth Regiment, Dr. Alexander J. McKelway served as major and surgeon, and Dr. H. Genet Taylor as first lieu- tenant and assistant surgeon, and in the Fifth Regiment, Dr. O. S. Belden served as first lieutenant and assistant surgeon. In addition to these, Dr. Joseph W. McCullough, of the First Regiment, Dela- ware Volunteers ; Dr. James A. Armstrong, Seventy-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Dr. D. H. Bartine, One Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, served as first lieuten- ants and assistant surgeons in their respective regiments, and Dr. Peter V. Schenck served as first lieutenant and assistant surgeon in the regular army, and during the war was brevetted captain, and also major, for faithful and meritorious services on the field. During the occupancy of the Peninsula by the Army of the Poto- mac, the forces in front of Washington were commanded by General John Pope, who, after the evacuation of the Peninsula, was re-enforced by the divisions of McClellan. Pope at once began an aggressive campaign, with " headquarters in the saddle," and sustained such re- peated defeats at Bristow Station, Bull Run and Chantilly, that he withdrew his forces within intrenchments in the vicinity of Alexan- dria. In this campaign of General Pope, Major Alexander J. McKel- 27 way, Lieutenants H. Genet Taylor, Bowman Hendry, 3d, O. S. Bel- den, James A. Armstrong, D. H. Bartine, Joseph W. McCullough, and Lieutenant Bowman Hendry, 2d, of the Sixth Regiment, Second Brigade, rendered distinguished service. Dr. D. Parish Pancoast served, at this time, as a contract surgeon at Fortress Monroe. The defeat of General Pope led to the consolidation of the Armies of the Potomac and of Virginia, and General McClellan was placed in supreme command. Notwithstanding this, General Robert E. Lee, the Confederate chieftain, flushed with his repeated victories, boldly invaded Maryland in September, and, on the 17th, met defeat at Antietam. In this battle, the Camden County surgeons previously named participated with their regiments, excepting Lieutenant H. Genet Taylor who, at this time, was a prisoner within the Confederate lines, having volunteered to remain with the Union wounded at Chan- tilly. Failing to press his advantage by permitting Lee to escape into Virginia, McClellan was, in consequence, superseded by General A. E. Burnside. The campaign of Burnside also proved one of failure and disaster. Advancing against the Confederates in October, he met them in battle at Fredericksburg, December 11 and 12, and sustained defeat with terrific loss. In this engagement, Major Alexander J. McKelway, Major James A. Armstrong, promoted in the previous October, Lieu- tenants H. Genet Taylor, Bowman Hendry, 2d, Bowman Hendry, 3d, D. H. Bartine and Lieutenant Thomas G. Rowand, assistant surgeon. Twenty-fourth Regiment, N. J. V., participated. Dr. John W\ Donges, who served as as a private in the Pennsylvania Volunteers, was wounded at the battle of Fredericksburg and incapacitated for further action. After this battle, Lieutenant Taylor was detailed by General Hooker as surgeon-in-charge of the Artillery Brigade, Third Corps. The failure of Burnside led to the placing of General Joe Hooker in command of the army, January 28, 1863, who crossed the Rapidan in April; engaged the Confederates at Chancellorville on the 30th, and was driven back with great loss. The flank movement of General Stonewall Jackson in this engagement renders it one of the most con- spicuous in the war. The Camden County surgeons who have been mentioned, again participated in the din of battle and afterwards, Lieu- tenant Rowand was detailed for duty at the Second Corps Hospital, Potomac Creek, where he remained until mustered out of service in June. 28 Flushed with his victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorville, Lee invaded Pennsylvania and met with defeat at Gettysburg, July ist to 4th, by General George G. Meade, who had succeeded Hooker in command on the very eve of battle. This battle was the high water mark of the Rebellion and, following the retreat of Lee, there were no extensive engagements until General Grant took command in the follow- ing year. At Gettysburg, and in the minor engagements after it, the Camden County surgeons, whose names have brought such honor to our profession, were in action. The closing conflict of the war was inaugurated on March 2, 1864, when General Grant was appointed Commander-in-chief of all the Union armies. On May 3, the march to Richmond was begun and there followed the battles of the Wilder- ness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, which stand unparalleled in history for martial daring, and finally, the surrender of the Confederacy at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. Only three of the Camden County surgeons participated in the Grant campaign, viz.: Lieutenants Bowman Hendry. 2d, Bowman Hendry, 3d, and Lieutenant Duncan W. Blake, of the Fourth Regiment, First Brigade, N. J. V., who was commissioned first lieutenant and assistant surgeon in the spring of 1865. Lieutenant Blake was present at the surrender of Lee at Appomattox and witnessed the downfall of the Confederacy, after which he took part in the grand review of the Army of the Potomac before the President, at Washington, which was the closing act in the drama of the Rebellion. In the United States Navy, Camden County was represented by four medical officers who served with distinction during the Civil War: Dr. William S. Bishop, passed assistant surgeon; Dr. Richard C. Dean, assistant surgeon, who was recently retired as a medical director; Doctors Charles W. Sartori, assistant surgeon, and Henry Ackley, assistant surgeon, rendered important and distinguished services. During the Civil War, a number of our surgeons served as medical cadets, among whom were Doctors Alexander M. Mecray, H. A. M. Smith, John R. Haney and William H. Iszard, while Dr. John R. Stevenson served as first lieutenant and assistant surgeon to the commission appointed under the Conscription Act. Previous to the Civil War, the militia of New Jersey consisted of four divisions, each under the command of a major-general. At this period, Dr. Elijah B. Woolston served as a division surgeon and was one of the first to offer his services in the call for troops by the 29 Government, in the dark clays of 1861. Following the war, the militia of the State was organized (1869) into the present National Guard, whose efficiency is a subject of just pride to the State. In this reorganization, Dr. H. Genet Taylor was commissioned major and surgeon of the Fifth Battalion, on the staff of Major E. J. Jack- son, and, in 1870, when the battalion was organized into the Sixth Regi- ment, under the command of Colonel James M. Scovel, Major Taylor was re-commissioned surgeon and Dr. J. Orlando White was commis- sioned first lieutenant and assistant surgeon. The Sixth Regiment has served as a school for military and professional instruction to a number of surgeons of this county. Six surgeons have served upon the staff of its commanding officers; three are now serving and two have been warranted as hospital stewards. Of the eleven surgeons who have been connected with the regiment, one has been promoted to the rank of assistant surgeon-general of the State with the rank of colonel; Major Isaac B. Mulford and Lieutenant George Taylor Robin- son have died ; Major H. Genet Taylor and Lieutenants J. Orlando White and Dowling Benjamin have resigned, and Sergeant Levi B. Hirst has been honorably discharged after ten years of service as hospital steward. Of the present staff, Major Daniel Strock holds the position of major and surgeon ; Lieutenants Orange W. Braymer and Wilson Gill Bailey, of first lieutenants and assistant surgeons, and Eugene E. De Grofft, of hospital steward.* Following the close of the war, none contributed.more to keep alive the memories of the strife, or the principles for which they contended, than the medical officers of the army. It was a surgeon who conceived and put into execution the principles of the Grand Army of the Republic ; it was a surgeon who instituted the Order of the Loyal Legion; it was a surgeon, the late Lieutenant G. S. F. Pfieffer, of this city, who organized the Sons of Veterans. Majors H. Genet Taylor and D. H. Bartine are members of the Order of the Loyal Legion ; Majors James A. Armstrong and H. Genet Taylor, Lieutenants D. W. Blake and John R. Stevenson are enrolled in the Grand Army of the Republic; Doctors J. H. Haley and Eugene E. De Grofft belong to the Sons of Veterans; H. Genet Taylor and * Since the above was written, Dr. Joel W. Fithian has been commissioned first lieutenant and assistant-surgeon of Gatling Gun Co. B., N. G., N. J., on the staff of Captain John R. Jones. 30 Dowling Benjamin, to the Sons of the Revolution, and H. Genet Taylor, Daniel Strock, Orange W. Braymer, Wilson Gill Bailey and E. L. B. Godfrey, to the Order of the Military Surgeons of New Jersey. VI.—THE RELATION OF THE PROFESSION TO POLITICAL AFFAIRS. In the broad domain of politics, municipal, county, state and national, the physicians of Camden County have taken an active and influential part, and their activity has redounded both to the glory of the State and to the welfare of mankind. Deeply interested in muni- cipal government and possessed of a wide personal popularity, Dr. Lorenzo F. Fisler was first honored with the mayoralty of Camden in 1840, and rendered such efficient service to the city that he was nominated for the same office twelve times, seven of which he was elected, his competitor in 1851 being Dr. Othniel H. Taylor. Dr. Fisler was the first physician elected a member of City Council, in which body he has been ably succeeded by Doctors Charles W. Sartori, Philip W. Beale, William S. Jones, Benjamin S. Lewis and John W. Donges, the last named having served as president. A more permanent and far-reaching influence has been exercised by the profession in the organization and the development of the pub- lic school system. Believing that the education of the youth of our city and county, at the public expense, would afford a broad and firm foundation upon which the magnificent superstructure of equality of rights and liberty of thought and action could be reared, the profession early laid the corner-stone of the temple of knowledge, and how firm its foundation and how imposing its structure, let a grateful public 'tell. Previous to 1842, the public schools of New Jersey were sup- ported by an apportionment of the State funds among the different counties. In that year, an Act of Legislature was secured, chiefly through the instrumentality of Dr. Isaac S. Mulford, providing and authorizing the inhabitants of townships to raise money, by direct tax- ation, in addition to the State apportionment, for public school pur- poses. This was practically the beginning of the public school system in this State. Great indeed have been the results of this enactment! The numerous and substantial public school buildings you behold to- day in every hamlet and city of the State, over whose walls floats the graceful and imperishable emblem of American liberty, and the modern methods of teaching which have enabled our boys and girls to .take the front rank in the struggle of life, unmistakably attest 3i the wisdom of this act. In 1843, the public school system was inaugurated in the township of Camden, largely through the influence of Dr. Isaac S. Mulford, and a Board of School Trustees was organ- ized, of which he became President in 1845. In 1852, also through his endeavors, the School Board of Camden was made a separate fac- tor in the city government, the wisdom of which action no one can question. The efforts of Dr. Mulford did not pass unnoticed by his fellow-citizens; he was not only honored by an appointment on the State Board of Education, but his memory has been perpetuated in the name of the " Isaac S. Mulford Grammar School." In 1852, the Board of Education of the city of Camden was organized, in which Doctors Charles W. Sartori, Maximilian West, Henry H. Davis, John R. Haney and Dowling Benjamin have rendered efficient service, while Doctors Thomas G. Rowand, Sylvester Birdsell and James M. Ridge have been called to preside over its deliberations, and Dr. Alexander M. Mecray to superintend its teaching force. With equal earnestness, the profession of Camden County have toiled unceasingly for the public good in matters pertaining to the public health. The establishment of a State Board of Health was urgently demanded by the great progress of sanitary science and the necessity for diffusing sanitary information among the general public. On May 22, 1877, a State Board was instituted, and Governor Bedle appointed Dr. James M. Ridge one of its members. The Board im- mediately took a wide interest in the sanitation of the State; began a campaign of education among physicians, sanitarians and the public at large, and enlisted the interest of all allied callings in its efforts. It has succeeded in remodeling the sanitary laws of New Jersey; in establishing local boards of health in every section of the State, and in elevating the standards of public safety in health matters. In 1880, it rendered important service to Camden County during the epidemic of typhus fever at the Almshouse, and the small-pox epidemic in Camdem. In consequence of this service, most of the townships in this county organized local boards of health, in 1882, but Camden re- mained independent until 1886, notwithstanding the repeated requests of the County and City Medical Societies for the organization of a city board of health, under the State laws. This indifference in Camden to sanitary matters led to the appointment of Dr. Onan B. Gross, by the State Board of Health, as Sanitary Inspector, in 1884, and his report was so overwhelmingly in favor of organization under 32 the State laws, that the Sanitary Committee of City Council made a report to the State Board of the condition of Camden that year. In 1885, a joint meeting was held between the Sanitary Committee of Council and a committee from the City Medical Society, which resulted in the organization of a Board of Health, in 1886, under the State laws of 1880. This board has greatly improved the sanitary arrangements of Camden and has contributed, in a high degree, to the public weal. Doctors John W. Donges, Benjamin S. Lewis. William Shafer and Sylvan G. Bushey have been, or are now, active in its membership, while Doctors James A. Walmsley, Duncan W. Blake and John K. Bennett, in the board of Gloucester City; John R. Stevenson and William B. Jennings, in the Haddonfield board ; D. H. Bartine and John W. Marcy, in the Merchantville board, and Joseph H. Hurff, Philip W. Beale, William S. Long and William B. Jennings, in various township boards, have rendered efficient service. In 1890, the lax medical laws of New Jersey were repealed and, on May 22, a new law was enacted, providing for a State Board of Medi- cal Examiners, to examine and license all physicians desiring to prac- tice in the State, who had not registered previous to the passage of the law. This Board has done more to build up the standard of the medical profession in the State than any other influence, until to-day, New Jersey stands unsurpassed among the States in medical educa- tion. Camden County is represented on this Board in the person of • its Secretary. In the local political interests of Camden County, our profession has been well represented. For ten years following the organization of the county, the office of Coroner was held by laymen. The fact then became recognized that physicians alone should fill this public office, because of the medical knowledge required to determine the cause of death, as well as the knowledge required to determine the force of relating evidence. In 1854, Dr. Thomas G. Rowand was elected Coroner of the county, and since then Doctors Duncan W. Blake, James A. Armstrong, William H. Iszard, Philip W. Beale, Ed- win Tomlinson, Henry H. Davis, George W. Henry. James G. Stan- ton, Edwin R. Smiley and Ahab H. Lippincott, have graced the position with becoming dignity. In i860, when the evolution of politics gave a triumphant force to the Republican party, (in the exposition of whose principles Dr. Syl- vester Birdsell was one of the pioneers in this county), Dr. Birdsell 33 presided at the first county convention of that party, at Haddonfield, and heralded with conscious pride its ratification of the platform to the national leaders of the party. In 1876, the "Act Respecting County Physicians " was passed, which gave county physicians precedence and authority over coroners and justices of the peace, in the investigation of casual, accidental or violent deaths. This position was first held by Dr. Randal W. Morgan, and has since been ably filled by Doctors William H. Ireland, Onan B. Gross, William H. Iszard and William S. Jones, the present incumbent. With the Almshouse and Asylum, Doctors Joseph W. McCullough, Henry E. Branin and Joseph E. Hurff have long been connected, and their invaluable services to the county have been previously related. In the political affairs of the State, Dr. Isaac S. Mulford took part as a member of the State Board of Education; Dr. Richard M. Cooper, as a member of the State Sanitary Commission of 1866 and the Public Health Commission of 1874; Dr. James M. Ridge, as a member of the State Board of Health ; Dr. George W. Henry and Dr. William H. Iszard, as members of the Legislature, and Dr. E. L. B. Godfrey, as a member of the State Board of Medical Examiners. In national politics, the profession of Camden County, in 1852, furnished a candidate for Vice-President of the United States. Be- cause of the influx of-emigrants in 1837, Dr. Reynell Coates helped to form the Native-American Party which advocated the rights and privileges of Americans as opposed to those foreigners, and demanded a residence of twenty-one years in this country as a qualification for naturalization. In 1845, this party held its first national convention, and Dr. Coates wrote its platform.* In the national campaign of 1852, when slavery and Americanism, Whigs and Democrats, wrestled for national supremacy, and four great political parties marshalled their forces to secure the Presidency, Dr. Coates became a candidate for Vice-President of the United States, with Daniel Webster as President, on the Native-American ticket. During the campaign, Daniel Webster died and the party, therefore, did not carry a single State. The contest was, however, one of great excitement, owing to the importance of the issues involved. Pierce and King, the Democratic candidates, were elected and, under * " Origin and Progress of the American Party in Politics," by J. H. Lee. 34 the overshadowing interest of slavery, the Free-Soil party passed out of existence, the Native-Americans degenerated into a secret political organization called the Know-Nothings, and the Whigs were incorpor- ated in the new Republican party which, in the next national campaign, proved the chief rival of Democracy. Since that time, but one of the members of our profession has essayed the honors of national politics, viz.: Dr. William T. Collins, who became a presidential elector on the ticket supporting the greatest military chieftain of modern times, Ulysses S. Grant. VII.—THE RELATION OF THE PROFESSION TO LITERATURE AND EDUCATION. In the department of literature, there are members of our profession in this county who have attained distinction and even national renown. Their productions are naturally divided into technical and general. Under the term technical, may be classed the papers, essays and ad- dresses of a professional nature, and, in this direction. Doctors Othniel H. Taylor, Richard M. Cooper, Thomas F. Cullen, John V. Schenck, John W. Snowden and H. Genet Taylor have delivered addresses as Presidents of the State Medical Society; Doctors Dowling Benjamin, Daniel Strock, Orange W. Braymer and E. L. B. Godfrey, as members of the New Jersey Sanitary Association, and Doctors Thomas F. Cullen, John V.Schenck,John R.Stevenson, H. Genet Taylor,Dowling Benjamin and E. L. B. Godfreyr, as regularly appointed essayists of the State Medical Society, while Doctors James M. Ridge, Alexander Marcy, Alexander M. Mecray, Henry E. Branin, Onan B. Gross, Alexander McAlister, Charles H. Shivers, William S. Long and others have contributed papers to the Transactions of that august body. In the medical periodicals of the day, Doctors John R. Stevenson, Onan B. Gross, Dowling Benjamin, Daniel Strock, Joseph H. Wills, John F. Walsh, William S. Jones, Orange W. Braymer, Alexander McAlister, Joseph S. Baer and others have contributed articles, while in the County and City Medical Societies such frequent opportunities are afforded for the exercise and development of literary and oratorical gifts, that the majority of the members have made use of them with highly creditable results. In general literature, the medical profession of the county has attained distinction in the fields of history, poetry, fiction, politics. science and the drama. In 1848, Dr. Isaac S. Mulford published a 35 " History of New Jersey," in a volume of five hundred pages, which is the most important and comprehensive work that has, as yet, eman- ated from the pen of a Camden County physician. The work repre- sents extensive research and a wide fund of information. It is an accepted authority in State history and stands as a monument to the high literary talent and varied abilities of the author. In addition to this, Dr. Mulford wrote an elaborate treatise on " Forensic Medicine in New Jersey." In 1858, that brilliant and versatile genius, Dr. Lorenzo F. Fisler, found time between his arduous duties as a physician, politician, preacher and lecturer, to write a "History of Camden." This work was published in pamphlet form and contains much valuable informa- tion regarding the early period of our city, which the writer, from his unusual advantages in the public service, had an opportunity of acquiring. The lectures of Dr. Fisler were highly popular, and evinced considerable literary training and historical knowledge. The best known of his lectures were those on " Queen Victoria" and " Witchcraft." In addition to numerous professional speeches and medical papers, Dr. Othniel H. Taylor, whose ready and versatile pen was constantly employed in behalf of his profession, wrote a treatise on "The Topography of Camden County." In 1871, Dr. Richard M.Cooper prepared an interesting history of this Society for its twenty-fifth anniversary, which was read before the Society but was not published. Dr. Thomas F. Cullen, who wielded a trenchant and witty pen, not infrequently guided by keen and delicate satire, essayed the sister arts of music and the drama and contributed original produc- tions to both. Dr. Reynell Coates won the choicest laurels in the field of letters. Around his brow were garlanded the blossoms of both prose and verse, and as a poet and novelist, essayist and scientist, he won the favor of the Nation in the brilliant productions of his fertile and prolific brain. Nor are all the distinguished literati of the profession numbered among those who have crossed the boundary of life and entered the Elysian fields. The Muse of History has still her worshippers in the present generation of Camden County physicians, and foremost among these is Dr. John R. Stevenson, whose " History of Medicine and Medical Men in Camden County," published as a chapter in Prowell's History of Camden County, has received the highest encomiums 36 for its evident research and valuable information. Dr. H. Genet Taylor has written a history of the Camden City Dispensary which recites in a graphic manner the circumstances connected with the founding of that institution, in 1865, until the dedication of the present building, in 1892. Nor should the eminent achievements of our honorary members be omitted. Dr. Joseph F. Garrison obtained the highest honors of the Church, and Dr. Charles G. Garrison has won the highest honors of the State. In the realm of health and beauty, Dr. Dowling Benjamin has written a forcible treatise on "What is Beautiful in Style and its Relation to Health." The recent issue of the " The History of the Medical Profession of Camden County, New Jersey," may also be accredited to a member of this Society. This history is published in a bound volume of three hundred and eleven pages. It reviews the colonization of West Jersey, the medical and sanitary history of New Jersey, and considers the medical profession of Camden County in its professional, social, political, military, educational and literary relations to the public. To the same author may also be ascribed " The Discovery of Vaccination by Edward Jenner," "The American Physician in Literature," "The History of Sanitation in New Jersey," "The History of Nursing," and other publications. In matters of education, the medical profession of Camden County, independently of its work in connection with the public schools, has rendered important service. Dr. Reynell Coates held a professorship in Allegheny College; Dr. Thomas G. Rowand, in the Penn Medical University of Philadelphia; Doctors Dowling Benjamin and E. L. B. Godfrey held lectureships in the Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia ; Doctors H. Genet Taylor, A. M. Mecray, William A. Davis, Dowling Benjamin, Onan B. Gross, Daniel Strock, Joseph H. Wills, George Taylor Robinson, William R. Powell, Joseph L. Nicholson, Orange W. Braymer and E. L. B. Godfrey, in the New Jersey Training School foi Nurses; Doctors Henry E. Branin, John G. Doron, E. A. Y. Schellenger, Joseph S. Baer, William H. Pratt, William W. Kain, Paul M. Mecray, Alexander Mc- Alister, Eugene E. DeGrofft, Levi B. Hirst, Walter S. Bray and William S. Jones are now, or have been, connected with its teaching force.* * Since writing the above, Dr. William S. Jones has been appointed assist- ant Professor of Laryngology at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. 37 The organization of the New Jersey Training School for Nurses,* in 1889, has not only strengthened the profession of the county, but has extended the bounds of maternal knowledge, and revolutionized the methods of nursing in West Jersey. The old monthly nurse has been relegated to oblivious shades, and in her place the trained nurse has arisen, who is not only instilled with the principles of loyalty to the doctor and fidelity to the patient, but is familiar with the art of observing and recording symptoms and the principles of aseptic nursing. And now, Mr. President, 1 close this brief review of the Medical Profession of Camden County. Standing, Sir, upon the threshold of another cycle of years, and looking back upon the record of our noble profession, we behold it in the similitude of a majestic temple, resplendent with the gems of modern science and emblazoned with the glory of love for mankind. Sir, from the time of the discovery of anaesthetics, in the year of the organization of this Society, down to the introduction of aseptic and anti-septic remedies and the more recent animal products, there is no remedy, no agent, or no appliance that has proved of value in alleviating the physical ills of mankind, "The Board of Managers, Faculty and Instructors in the New Jersey Train- ing School for Nurses, consist of the following gentlemen : Board of Managers —President, H. Genet Taylor, A. M., M. D.; Vice-President, Alexander M. Mecray, M. D.; Secretary, Daniel Strock, M. D.; Treasurer, William A. Davis, M. D. Members—H. Genet Taylor, A. M., M. D., Alexander M. Mecray, M. D., E. L. B. Godfrey, A. M., M. D., Dowling Benjamin, M. D., William A. Davis, M. D., Onan B. Gross, M. D., Daniel Strock, M. D., Joseph H. Wills, A. M., M. D., Hon. Henry B. Wilson, Rev. Albert G. Lawson, D. D., General William J. Sewell, Peter Van Voorhees, Esq., Rudolphus Bingham, Esq., Joseph L. Nicholson, M. D., and William R. Powell, M. D. Faculty—E. L. B. Godfrey, A. M., M. D., Lecturer on Medical Nursing; William A. Davis, M. D., Clinical Lecturer on Gynecological Nursing; Dowling Benjamin, M. D., Lecturer on Obstetrical Nursing; Onan B. Gross, M. D., Lecturer on Anatomy; Daniel Strock, M. D., Lecturer on Dietetics; Joseph H. Wills, A. M., M. D., Lecturer on Hygiene and Massage; Joseph L. Nicholson, M. D., Lecturer on Surgical Nursing; William R. Powell, M. D , Lecturer on General Nursing and Nursing in Special Diseases of Children and the Eye ; Orange W. Braymer, A.M., M. D., Ph.D., Lecturer on Physiology. Instructors—Henry E. Branin, M. D., Instructor in Nervous Diseases; John G. Doron, A. B., M. D., Instructor in Medical Nursing. Quiz Instructors—Edward A. Y. Schellenger, M. D., William W. Kain, M. D., William H. Pratt, M. D., Levi B. Hirst, M. D.; Paul M. Mecray, M. D., Instructor in Surgical Nursing. 38 that has not been speedily adopted by the medical profession of Cam- den County. Broad, indeed, has been the foundation of this temple, laid by the pioneers who have passed beyond the Great Divide ! Firm, indeed, has been the superstructure reared by those whose sun has crossed the meridian and is beginning to fade imperceptibly into the lingering glow of the sunset of life ! It is for us who are now laboring in the noontide hours, to enlarge its foundations and to heighten its walls, and it remains for you, young gentlemen, whose morning of professional life is roseate with the glow of the sunrise, to forsake all minor issues and to devote your lives and energies to em- bellishing this temple with the unfolding truths of advancing science. Stand fast, then, by the profession whose watchword is progress; whose aim is the amelioration of human ills. Upon both the family and State it showers its choicest blessings. Not only in time of peace has it extended the period of human existence, but amid the desolation of war and the devastation of pestilence, it bears aloft the only standard, and unfurls the only flag—the Red Cross of the Geneva Convention—under whose ample folds the civilized nations of the earth can meet in amicable agreement. Behind you, members of the Camden County Medical Society, stand the names of our illustrious dead and their great achievements. Before you are "the beckoning splendors of the bright, illimitable to-morrow," with its possibilities of scientific growth and professional triumph. Electricity opens to you, through the discovery of Roent- gen, a boundless field for surgical victories; serum-therapy presents unlimited possibilities of medical conquest. " Men, my brothers, be ye workers, ever reaping something new; That which you have done, but earnest of the things which you shall do. Not in vain, the distance beacons. Forward, forward let us range, Let the great world spin forever down the ringing grooves of change." THE PRESENTATION OF THE BUSTS. The next important feature of the programme was the presentation of the busts of Dr. Richard Matlack Cooper and Dr. Othniel Hart Taylor, charter members of the Society. The portrait busts are life size, made of terra cotta, by Mr. Franz L. Engdahl, of Camden, N. J., 39 from paintings of the originals, and represent them as they appeared at the prime of their lives and at the period of greatest activity. The President introduced Dr. Onan B. Gross, who PRESENTED THE BUST OF DOCTOR COOPER, on behalf of the sculptor, and said : Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : As a preliminary to my few remarks, permit me to remind you of the fact that a great many of our pioneer settlers on this side of the Delaware River were natives of Sweden, and when Mr. William Cooper arrived here, in 1682, and settled at Pyne Point, now known as Cooper's Point, in North Camden, he found many of his neighbors to be Swedes. Is it not a strange but fitting coincidence that his great-grandson, Dr. Richard M. Cooper, should have his memory revered to-day by a native of good old Sweden, after a lapse of over two hundred years. About thirty-five years ago, a lad was born among the Scandinavian hills who, on maturity, became a skilled artist, and as a sculptor became a student of the Swedish Royal Academy, and a few years ago also became a contributor to the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. Catering to the spirit of a naturally growing refinement of our people, and to the interests of his art, he has modeled two busts for this very appropriate occasion. Therefore, on behalf of the sculptor, Mr. Franz L. Engdahl, I have the pleasure to present the bust of Dr. Richard M. Cooper to the Camden District Medical Society, on this, its fiftieth anniversary. Dr. Cooper was one of the eminent trio of physicians in this city who were instrumental in organizing this Society in 1846 ; but his retiring modesty was so great that he would not permit his own elec- tion to its presidency until 1871, accepting only such minor offices as Secretary or Treasurer during these intervening twenty-five years. Another strongly marked trait of his character was charity, and all that the name implies. And as a physician of great skill, he was able to carry all the more sunshine into the sick-room by reason of this benevolent disposition. During the thirty-five years of his medical practice, he was regarded as an ideal physician, benefiting rich and poor alike, and without reference to creed or nationality. Dr. Cooper's 40 loyalty to his profession was also so great that his interest in this Society was perpetuated after his death by a legacy of three thousand dollars, the income of which was to defray its expenses and insure its permanency. He well knew the necessity for medical associations, the gathering together of physicians for mutual encouragement and help, in the interests of their arduous and at times highly responsible duties. He was also an incorporator of the City Medical Society and the Camden City Dispensary. These institutions were likewise bene- ficiaries of his endless bounty, and to his credit, more than to any other individual, is due the very successful career of the Medical Soci- ety and the equally good work accomplished by the City Dispensary. His greatest work in philanthropy, however, was, in conjunction with his immediate relatives, the establishment of the Cooper Hospital. A very large fortune was left in trust for the building and maintenance of this institution ; and the successful accomplishment of the work for which it was intended can best be realized by a study of its annual reports. Its doors are open to all ailing or injured people of this State, and its charity is almost boundless. Thousands of dollars are expended annually for the proper care of the sick and wounded, and it is to be hoped that in the nearby future our city officials will relieve this institution of its burden of taxation in order that its fullest measure of good work may be realized and accomplished, more especially as the citizens who are represented by these officials are the direct beneficiaries of this hospital. It would not be possible for me to elaborate in detail all of the good deeds of this truly great man; for the mantle of charity that he spread for the benefit of suffering humanity is so wide and universal, that mere words cannot be found to justly portray its far-reaching influence and effects. As well might the painter's brush attempt to portray the brilliancy of an October sunset. We believe, however, that he is justly entitled to a place in that niche of fame now occupied by such philanthropists as George Peabody, of New York, Steven Girard, of Philadelphia, and Johns Hopkins, of Baltimore. In conclusion, permit me to suggest that, in the acceptance of the bust of Dr. Richard M. Cooper, properly placed in position in the rooms of the Medical Society, it be ever regarded as a signal for closer and more charitable associations of its members, for each other, as well as towards a seemingly cold, calculating and uncharitable world ; and Othniel H. Taylor, M. D., (Deceased.) President of the Camden District Medical Society, 1849. Richard Matlack Cooper, M. D., (Deceased.) President of the Camden District Medical Society, 1872. 41 the very highest honor we can aspire to in this connection, will be to emulate as nearly as possible the life work of our great philanthropist, Dr. Cooper. ACCEPTANCE OF THE BUST OF DOCTOR COOPER. Dr. James M. Ridge accepted the bust of Dr. Cooper, on behalf of the Society, in the following terms: Ladies and Gentlemen : I should have wished the office had fallen to abler hands. Profes- sional labors and engagements have left no time at my disposal but the midnight's hour. That this brief interval should have been stolen from repose, robbing a constitution not now richly endowed with physical powers, and devoted to the cultivation of language and adornment of style, to which I make no pretension—they are incom- patible with hasty or extemporaneous composition—and will compose no part of my present remarks. The image of our departed brother stands before you. The linea- ments of the face are true and accurate to a facsimile, and all honor is due to the artist who has so carefully and so justly portrayed the features of our beloved brother. The thanks and appreciation of this Society are tendered for his skill and labors. I had it in my mind to suggest a motto for this bust, but I did not think of it until after the bust was completed. The words may be found recorded by Virgil—the words of Dido, the reputed foundress of Carthage, to ^Eneas, the Trojan hero, which read as follows, and when they are read, you must remember that he should be the first person to illustrate and translate them to make the sentence : " Non ignora mali miseris succorere disco "—•' Not being myself a stranger to suffering, I have learned to relieve the calamities and miseries of others." So with Richard Matlack Cooper. After receiving a good prelimin- ary education, he entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832. He remained there four years and was graduated from the literary department. After that he entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania under that great teacher, Dr. George B. Wood, whose fame is throughout the civilized world. Richard M. 42 Cooper graduated, after a three years' course, in 1839, and immediately took up the practice of medicine in the city of Camden, where he soon ranked with the physicians who were here before him. It seems as if he had the ability to grasp not only his own profession and the literature thereof, but he had the ability to grasp everything around him; and he took an interest not only in the State, but he took an interest in the Union, and took an interest in the municipality and everything of that kind; yet, at the same time, no man that I am acquainted with was more devoted to the medical profession than Dr. Richard M. Cooper. In 1856, I became acquainted with him. I associated with him in the medical Societies, the societies which he helped to found and cared for so well, one of which he fostered by a donation of three thousand dollars, as has been already said. I never met a man so calm, so cool, so collected in a sick room ; surrounded by death, even, he was in smiles. I never met such a man. I recollect one instance I will mention. We were met in consultation, and the case was a serious one, which we believed would prove fatal. When we came out of the house I said to him, "Doctor, how can you remain so cheerful when death is staring us both in the face?" "Why," he says, " Doctor, I do not wish to worry myself to death, and die before my patient." I thought it was the most appropriate answer I had ever received from any man. He was thoroughly acquainted with his pro- fession, and his diagnoses and prognoses were accurate, almost faultless. I never knew a man to be so charitable. Now, it is unnecessary for me to mention the fact that he would attend his patients and would furnish the medicine afterwards, frequently without charge. That shows his charitable character, his great philanthropy. It is unnecessary to say that he was prominent in the organization of the Camden County and City Medical Societies, and the Dispensary, of which he was Treasurer at the time of his death. It is unnecessary, because there has been so much said about the Doctor and his connec- tions, to go over that again. The only thing I can say is this : In my acquaintance with him I found him so completely wrapt up in the science of medicine that he was sincerely devoted to it, and I do not think I can do better justice to him than to give some few verses of one of our poets, who has gone to join the majority : He was 43 " Sincerely devoted to the healing art, By solemn consecration set apart To be a minister of God above, In the sublime activities of love. His natural function was to give relief In the dark hours of suffering and of grief; Between the living and the dead to stand, Where fall the shafts of death on either hand; Without one thought of flight, to still maintain Perpetual battle with the powers of pain ; With a fine arrow from a well-bent bow, Transfixing fatally the murderous foe, And with an arm made powerful to save, Snatching the destined victims of the grave. The lofty nature of his calling such, You cannot magnify the same too much, Which Tully, even, eloquently lauds As that which lifts man nearest to the Gods." And too, he was an alienist; he had studied psychology, and he was thoroughly acquainted with the treatment of insanity and all its adjunct diseases; hence he could "minister to a mind diseased, pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, raze out the hidden troubles of the brain, and with some sweet, oblivious antidote, cleanse the stuff'd bosom of that perilous stuff which weighs upon the heart." All of which our beloved brother could do. And now, in conclusion, the cold, inanimate clay stands before you, silent, pleading for recognition and reception. I therefore have the pleasure, by virtue of the order of the District Medical Society which he loved so well, to receive this bust, to adorn its halls now and for ever. And in conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, permit me to say that so long as the note of merit is sweet to any, Camden will be charmed by the music of the voice that utters the name of Richard M. Cooper. After a musical selection, the President introduced Dr. Benjamin S. Lewis, the Secretary of the Society, who, on behalf of the sculptor, PRESENTED THE BUST OF DOCTOR TAYLOR, in the following address: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : From a time to which the "memory of man runneth not to the contrary," there has been a custom, upon occasions of peculiar felicity, 44 to present some substantial token as a memento. We read in history, both inspired and profane, from the earliest recorded time, of gifts which accompanied tribute paid by the donors. Whether it be the tribute demanded by a kingly potentate, or the spontaneous expression of good will of the giver, substantial gifts accompany the act. It is a beautiful custom. It is a visible expression of one of the most estimable attributes of our common humanity—unselfishness. Such mementoes, presented upon an occasion of this character, may be rich and dazzling examples of the lapidary's art or the goldsmith's skill. They may consist alone of some object, rough and uncouth in itself, of little intrinsic value. Both typify and illustrate, however dazzling or dull, respect and love in tangible form. This custom, again, emphasizes the fact that the recipient is entitled to respect and love; it emphasizes the fact, also, that the giver is capable of showing respect and love. In pursuance of this custom, Mr. President, I have been assigned the honor to present upon this, our golden anniversary, a substantial token which, during long ensuing time, I hope, may be a reminder to the members of the organization, not onlv of brilliant achievements accomplished in its past history for the good of mankind, but which will also be a constant reminder of one who gave his best efforts and talents to the relief of the physical ills of his fellow-man and was an active and consistently outspoken advocate of the honorable traditions of our noble profession. Therefore, on behalf of Mr. F. L. Engdahl, of this city, the generous donor as well as the skillful sculptor of this bust, I now present it to the District Medical Society of Camden County. Othniel Hart Taylor! What memories, pregnant with interest to every member of the Society, are suggested by the mention of his name. Incorporator, Secretary, President, filling every honorable position with- in its gift with earnest zeal, because he knew the associated work of the members who composed this Society would make for the benefit of the community. Unselfish in character, his active energies were directed largely to the organization of systematic schemes for the relief of the physical ills of the indigent poor of his adopted city. But recently endowed with the degree of Doctor of Medicine by the University of Pennsylvania, when the first great cholera epidemic —that of 1832—devastated this land, this young practitioner, Dr. Taylor, plunged, evidently without fear, into the midst of the deadly 45 scourge in Philadelphia, and offered his professional services to the authorities. Placed in charge of one of the most important of the municipal hospitals, his service was so faithful, so constant, so careful and so successful that when the intensity of the outbreak had sub- sided, the municipal government of that great and growing city unani- mously recorded its appreciation of his work and accompanied the notice of that record with a service of silver bearing the inscription that it was given " as a token of regard for intrepid and disinterested services." Removing to this city subsequently, and intelligently observant as to matters of public benefit, after devoting some time to assisting in organizing the medical profession into the Camden County and City Societies, he directed his energies largely in assisting in the establish- ment of a free dispensary for the relief of the physical ills of the indigent. The dispensary began its work in a small way. It could not reach all deserving cases. By the activity of his efforts it was benefited by an appropriation from the city treasury, continued annu- ally for a number of years, which assisted greatly in extending the benefits it vouchsafed to the poor. It would be impossible for me, within the limits of time assigned me, to enter very fully into the work of the Camden City Dispensary. It, alone, as it stands to-day, is a monument to the unselfish labors of Othniel Hart Taylor. I may mention, however, that upon the organization of the City Dispensary, one attending physician was competent to do the work. To-day, thirteen consulting and nineteen attending physicians, surgeons and gynecologists constitute the staff of that institution. They furnish their services gratuituously. When I add that upward of 10,000 indigent patients were prescribed for without charge during the past year, you will have suggested a thought of the great work for good among the poor of this community which was inaugurated by Othniel Hart Taylor, who was so forceful a factor in calling that institution into existence. To conclude, these two striking characteristics of his life work entitle Othniel Hart Taylor to be included in the very apt description of Cicero, 2,000 years ago : " Homines ad Deos nulla re proprius accedunt."—"Men in no particular approach so nearly to the gods as by giving health to their fellow men." 46 ACCEPTANCE OF THE BUST OF DOCTOR TAYLOR. At the conclusion of Dr. Lewis' remarks, the President introduced Dr. Daniel Strock, who, in receiving the bust of Dr. Taylor, said : Mr. President, Gentlemen of the Society, Ladies and Gentlemen : It is an act of filial duty upon the part of this Society to do honor to its founders, and we are here to-day, not only to give public expression of our pleasure that this organization has been in existence for fifty years, but also, as a fitting accompaniment to the event, to give you some account of two of its most prominent members who have distinguished themselves in our profession. Doctor Othniel Hart Taylor is one of those whose memory we delight to honor. Dr. Othniel Hart Taylor was a native of Philadelphia, in which city he was born May 4, 1803. He was of English ancestry; both his parents, William Taylor, Jr., and Mary E. Gazzam, being natives of Cam- bridge, England. They removed to America in 1793 anc^ settled in Philadelphia, where for more than forty years William Taylor was engaged in extensive mercantile business. In his early years, Othniel Hart Taylor attended elementary schools in Philadelphia and Holmes- burg, Pennsylvania, and in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. He studied earnestly and effectively and made rapid progress. In the year 1818 he entered the literary department of the University of Pennsylvania, and there pursued the more advanced studies of a general education. He had decided upon entering the medical profession, and in the year 1820 he became a student in the office of Thomas T. Hewson, M. D., the distinguished physician and surgeon. At the time he was pur- suing his studies in Dr. Hewson's office, he matriculated in the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania medical department, and completed his studies in 1825, graduating with the class of that year. After graduating, he at once entered upon the practice of his pro- fession in the city of Philadelphia. He brought to the work he had chosen a combination of qualifications as valuable as rare. He was energetic and patient; he was progressive and prudent; he worked ceaselessly, but always had leisure to meet the necessities of others ; he studied continuously and practiced cautiously; he had much know- ledge, and so much modesty that his knowledge was never obtruded. Such a combination in the long run makes success, and success came 47 to him. Soon after he entered upon the practice of his profession he was appointed one of the physicians of the Philadelphia Dispensary, in which capacity he served for many years. About the same time he was elected out-door physician to the Pennsylvania Hospital, a position which he held for a term of eight years. He made a mark for himself even at this time. His work was done with conscien- tiousness and with a fidelity to his duties that attracted attention. We cannot consider the life of a man without paying some attention to his environments. The biographer cannot write the history of an indi- vidual without considering the times in which he lived. So it is with us. We must, in considering the life of Dr. Taylor, give some atten- tion and thought to the period of his existence and activity. It was in 1817 that the cholera began its march from Bengal, and during a period of fifteen years it passed throughout the entire habitable globe. When, in 1832, it invaded Canada, which was one of the first points reached on this continent, there was more or less alarm throughout the entire country, and the cities that were not infected considered it their duty to take steps to try and stop its progress. The City Council of Philadelphia appointed a Sanitary Commission to go to Montreal, in Canada, and see what could be done to stay the disease, and to formulate a plan that would prevent its entrance into Phila- delphia. This young man, Dr. Othniel H. Taylor, who had been engaged in the practice of medicine for seven years only, but who had already, as I have said, distinguished himself in the hospitals of Phila- delphia, was selected as one of the commissioners to go to Montreal and report to the City Council of Philadelphia. Now, this was a distinguished honor for one so young. It demon- strated that he had marked ability; that his attributes were well known even at this early day. But he was unable to accept this position, and Prof. Charles D. Meigs was selected in his stead. The names of the other men on the commission are sufficient guarantee of the fact that none but the best men were selected for this duty. Notwithstanding the effort on the part of the municipality to prevent the encroachment of this disease, it finally did reach Philadelphia in 1832, and the first case occurred on July nth, and terminated fatally. During this period there was felt the greatest alarm, and many of the inhabitants were preparing to leave the city. The newspapers of the day were constantly enjoining upon the people to be calm ; telling them how to live carefully, and avoid certain 48 articles of food and drink that would be deleterious, and everything indicates that there was a panic at that time prevailing throughout the city of Philadelphia, as well as throughout the cities of the seaport and interior. Dr. Taylor, notwithstanding that it was impossible to perform this first great duty devolving upon him, immediately offered his service to the City Council of Philadelphia in any capacity that they might elect to place him. After the disease reached Philadelphia, seeing that there was likely to be a severe epidemic, as there was in other cities this plague had reached, Dr. Taylor was summoned as one of the seven physicians placed in charge of the seven hospitals that were established at that time for the treatment of those cases which could not be properly taken care of at home. He was assigned to St. Augustine Hospital, at Fourth and Crown Streets, and had charge of it until the close of the epidemic. Rev. Father Hurley, in charge of the parish, in preparation for this event, had the convent and parish-house prepared for the admission of patients. Dr. Taylor here fulfilled all the duties that pertained to this position, and, notwithstanding the fact that his hospital, as well as others in the city, was threatened by the mob that from time to time would gather about, believing that these hospitals were foci for the extension of the disease, remained at his post, and continued there until the end of the epidemic in Philadelphia. And as an evidence of the good work he performed at that time, I may mention that out of a total of 2,329 cases occurring in the city of Philadelphia. Dr. Taylor treated at his hospital 512—that is to say, nearly one-fourth of the cholera cases occurring in the city of Philadelphia in the year 1832 were treated by Dr. Taylor. And as an evidence of the nobleness of his heart, notwithstanding the fact that his death-rate was the lowest of any of the hospitals of the city of Philadelphia, he disclaimed that the credit was entirely due to himself, but asserted that it was largely due to the fact that he had as nurses the Sisters of Mercy, that had been placed at his disposal by Father Hurley. In addition to occupying the position of physician in charge of the St. Augustine Hospital, he was also a consulting physician of the Sanitary Board of Council, and, as has been said to you by Dr. Lewis, after his services were over he refused to accept any remuneration for what he had done at this time, and the City Councils of Philadelphia presented him with a very handsome service of silver. In the meantime, Dr. Taylor had attained a very extended private 49 practice and achieved recognition as a man already eminent in his profession. His arduous and unceasing labors told inevitably upon his health, and at length, in the year 1838, in consequence of impaired health, he temporarily relinquished the practice of his profession in Philadelphia and removed to Fountaintown, Pennsylvania. He re- mained there until 1841, when he removed to Caldwell, Essex County, N. J., and in 1844 he took up his residence in Camden. In the mean- time, he had resumed practice with the recovery of his strength, and in Camden his medical career was, from the first, one of great success and distinction. Here his influence was immediately felt upon the medical sentiment of this county and State. He was instrumental in aiding in the organization of the Camden County Medical Society and, indeed, I am saying what is perfectly accurate when I assert that there is reason to believe that the idea originated with Dr. Taylor. He had been associating with some of the first medical minds of the time in Philadelphia and other cities, and had become imbued with the idea that a medical society in this county was necessary as an aid in the development of the medical profession. So, in 1846, he was one of the incorporators of this Society, and the first Vice-President. This position he held for four years, and in 1856 he was elected Presi- dent. His services in the Society were always of the highest order. Ever ready to contribute in the way of medical papers, he was present whenever possible at the meetings, and took part in the discussions that occurred from time to time, and labored in every way to build up and maintain the Society. In 1849 he was elected third Vice-President of the Medical Society of New Jersey. In 1850 he was elected second Vice-President of that Society; in 1851, first Vice-President, and in 1852, President—the highest position in the gift of any medical Society of this State. And it is interesting at this time to note that whereas Dr. Othniel H. Taylor was the first medical man from the Camden County Medical Society to occupy the chair of President of the New Jersey Medical Society, on the other hand, the last man from this County Society who has occupied the same position was his son, Dr. H. Genet Taylor, who was chosen President of the Society in 1889; so that it is a remarkable coincidence that the first and last man to represent the Camden County Medical Society in the chair of the State Medical Society was the father and son, Dr. Othniel H. Taylor and Dr. H. Genet Taylor. 50 In 1853 he was the first chairman of the Standing Committee of the Camden County Medical Society; and also in 1853 he was one of the organizers of the Camden City Medical Society, being chairman of the committee that drafted the Constitution and By-Laws of that society. In 1856, at the same time he was President of the Camden County Medical Society, he was elected President of the Camden City Medical Society; and in 1858 he was elected a member of a commit- tee of the Camden City Medical Society to investigate and report •upon the filthy condition of the hydrant water at that time. In 1857, he was appointed a delegate by the Camden City Medical Society to a convention that was held in Philadelphia to formulate a uniform system of quarantine laws—another recognition of his ability as a sanitarian. In 1859 he proposed the establishment of the Camden City Dispens- ary. His large hospital experience in Philadelphia and his work there, had shown him the necessity of something of the kind in this city to alleviate the sufferings of the worthy poor. There was no way to treat them at home, perhaps, which is frequently the case at the present day, because "the poor ye have with you always," and therefore he conceived the idea and introduced a resolution in the Camden City Medical Society for the establishment of the Dispensary and he was chairman of the committee appointed to formulate a plan of organization. He was, therefore, one of the incorporators of the Camden City Dispensary, and the first President of the Board of Managers. Now, while we speak of this as the Camden City Dispensary, it is well to bear in mind that it was at that time called the Camden City Hospital, and it was the first hospital that had been established in this city. It was, of course, a miniature hospital in comparison with the one that now exists here, but it was at that time an institution for good in the community that we cannot over-estimate. There were several beds placed in the hospital proper, and patients were cared for and treated there just as they are now treated at the Cooper Hospital. Therefore, to Dr. Taylor belongs the credit of having been the first to suggest a hospital in Camden City, and too much honor cannot be accorded him for that fact. He was one of the first delegates to represent the Camden City Medical Society on the Board of Managers -of the Camden City Dispensary. Dr. Taylor was a literary man. His papers, read before the Camden 5i County Medical Society, the Camden City Medical Society, and the State Medical Society of New Jersey, were numerous. They were not alone upon medical, but upon scientific and philosophical subjects. His range of writings were varied, and he never wrote anything but what was a source of pleasure and profit to those who listened to him. As a physician, he was painstaking and careful, and devoted to the interests of his patients. As a member of the Society and of the profession, he was honorable at all times; he was never guilty of any- thing that was not manly, just and proper; he was careful of the interests of the young men of the profession, and was solicitous as to their welfare and their progress, and did everything he could to advance them, and there are. no doubt, members of the profession here to-day who remember with gratitude the kindness of Dr. Taylor in various instances. He continued actively engaged in the work of his profession until about a year before his death, when, owing to his rapidly failing strength, he was obliged to relinquish his practice entirely. His fatal illness commenced with a severe attack of pneumonia early in the winter of 1864, which resisted all efforts to check the rapidly developed disease of the lungs and resulted in his death September 5, 1869. Added to his eminent qualities as a professional man. Dr. Taylor possessed rare personal characteristics which won for him not only the respect and esteem, but the warm affection of all who came within his acquaintance. He was for many years a member of *he Protestant Episcopal Church, in Camden, and at the time of his death was a vestryman and senior warden of St. Paul's Church in this city. His domestic relations were most happy, and I can indicate it best, perhaps, by saying to you that I have heard his son many times speak of " father" in an affectionate, reverential manner, that tells more than words can what the home life and influence of such a parent must have been. Now. on behalf of the Camden County Medical Society, I desire to accept this work of art from Mr. Engdahl, and tender him the thanks of the Society for his donation. I can assure him that it will be placed in the rooms of the Society, where it will ever remain, to be an inspiration to those of us who are present in the flesh, as it must be a stimulus to those who come after us to try and emulate the good works done by the original, Dr. Othniel Hart Taylor. The exercises closed with music, following which the audience was dismissed. THE EXERCISES AT THE BANQUET. At six o'clock, in the evening, the members and guests assembled in the banquet room of the Temple Theatre, and to the sweet strains of a stringed orchestra, discussed the following: MENU. Raw Oysters, sterilized. Puree of Celery. Aseptic Soup. Rockfish, Egg Sauce. Sherry. Sweet Bread Patties, a la Serum Therapy. Saddle of Venison, with Jelly. Sauterne. French Peas. Potato Croquettes. Stewed Celery, in Cream. Claret. Esculapian Punch. Quail on Toast, with Water Cress. Saratoga Chips. Chicken Salad, a la Medicale. Catawba. Assorted Pickles. Olives. Fancy Cakes. Assoited Ices. Champagne. Salted Almonds. Fruits. Crackers and Cheese. Coffee. Chocolate. Cigars. When the cigars were reached, the Secretary of the Society, Dr. Benjamin S. Lewis, arose and read the following LETTERS OF REGRET. Atlantic City, N. J., February 10, 1896. B. S. Lewis, M. D., Secretary Camden County Medical Society. Dear Doctor—Please extend my sincere greetings and thanks to the Committee of Arrangements of the Fiftieth Anniversary of your Society. It would give me great pleasure to be present, but I have a number of referred patients here at this time; this, with the time con- 53 sumed by a recent trip to Europe, compels me to stick close to the shop now. Will you kindly convey my best wishes, with my regrets, to my many friends in the District Medical Society of Camden County. Sincerely yours, BOARDMAN REED. Woodbury, N. J., February 10, 1896. B. S. Lewis, M. D., Secretary, etc. Dear Doctor—Owing to my recent recovery from severe illness, I regret my inability to accept the kind invitation of your Committee of Arrangements for the eleventh. Please extend my sincere thanks to your Committee for the invita- tion, and permit me to wish for you a very happy celebration. Sincerely yours, H. C. CLARK. Cape May, N. J., February 10, 1896. B. S. Lewis, M. D., Secretary, etc. Dear Doctor—Please thank your Committee of Arrangements for their kind invitation to be present at the Fiftieth Anniversary of your Society on the eleventh. I sincerely regret that duties here will not allow me to be present to greet many old friends and acquaintances. Yours truly, JAMES MECRAY. Mount Holly, N. J., February n, 1896. B. S. Lewis, M. D., Secretary, etc. Dear Doctor—Don't think I do not appreciate the Committee's kind and thoughtful invitation to be present at the celebration of old Camden's semi-centennial. I fully expected to be with you until this morning, when I found I had a pressing and not-to-be-shaken engagement with the old enemy, " La Grippe." That I am able to joke about the matter now, would indicate that 1 feel able to throw the monster off. I am sure you will have a grand time, and am only sorry that it will be lost to, Yours truly, W. P. MELCHER. 54 THE TOASTS. After the reading of the letters, the toastmaster,. Dr. Dowling Benjamin, announced that the following programme of toasts had been prepared by the Committee of Arrangements: " A Word of Welcome from our President," Dr. Alexander McAlister.. "The State of New Jersey," Brig.-Gen. John D. McGill, Surgeon-General of New Jersey.. " The Medical Society of New Jersey," William Elmer, M. D., President. "The State Board of Health," Henry Mitchell, M. D., Secretary. "The State Board of Medical Examiners," William Perry Watson, M. D. "The Order of Military Surgeons of New Jersey," Lieut.-Col. Mortimer Lampson, M. D., President. " Our Guests," - William H. Ireland, M. D. Other Matters, _______ Other People. The toastmaster further announced that the above programme would necessarily be modified somewhat because of the absence of three of the gentlemen who had been assigned toasts. He thereupon called upon the President of the Society, who spoke as follows: REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT. Gentlemen and Fellow Physicians: It seems to me that we have ample reason to congratulate ourselves upon the completion of the fiftieth year of the District Medical Soci- ety of Camden County, for it is evident to my mind that this society has been no small factor in the intellectual growth of the medical practitioner in this city, and I am certain that medical men have a greater influence to-day in this community than ever before. These results—or the present standing of the profession in this city and county—is certainly due, in a very large measure, to the work of this Society. We have not been favored with the presence of any great discoverers among our members, but we have been and are blessed 55 with the inspiring words and unremitting labors of men who realize their responsibility to the community and who look upon their profes- sion as being, in the highest sense, a Divine art. And so, looking over the records of this Society's work for the last half century, I am to-night more deeply conscious of the honor you have conferred upon me in making me your President. I have spoken of the Divine art of healing. And is it not such ? The Saviour never appears more tender and loving to human compre- hension than when he appears as the " Great Physician," visiting the sick in their afflictions, making the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. The ideal Christ has been in all times Christ, the healer, and the great heart of humanity goes out in love and reverence to Him who could look upon their ignorance and their misfortunes, not with contempt and derision, but with sympathy. No matter what our individual religious conceptions may be, we can all appreciate the Christ in this character, and we may well spend our lives in emulating his tender sympathy and sublime patience, having the assurance that no effort of ours could more quickly win the regard of our fellow-beings, and that, when the end comes, when dissolution seizes this mortal frame, we shall enter into the reward that he said awaited the good and faithful servant of God and humanity. It is this religious or, if you prefer, this moral and humane view of our profession that I would impress upon you and upon myself at this time. It may or may not be a curious fact that the doctors, and their fellow-workmen in other scientific lines, have been much quicker than the business classes to perceive the advantages of combination, mutual effort and unity of purpose, and I am prone to believe that profes- sional men maintain a higher standard of honor and conscience towards the public largely by reason of these cooperative educational efforts. That sounds like a very strong statement, but why is it not true if increase of conscience comes with increase of knowledge, and if increase of knowledge comes to all of us from these professional societies? You will observe that my conscience is tolerably clear concerning our work, individually and collectively, and I am satisfied that no one will begrudge us this little relaxation from diagnosis and prescribing. Neither am I fearful that the restless spirit of any one of our patients will rise to disturb the harmony of this festive occasion; but if some departed soul should take it into mind to pay us a call, I 56 am sure that every one of us can and will conscientiously cry, " Thou canst not say I did it." But I am jesting on a grave topic. We have with us to-night many men with weighty messages of learning and the lighter speech of cheer and courage. "THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY." The Toastmaster—We have the honor to have with us this evening a prominent member of the medical profession in this State, as well as the highest medical representative of the military of the State, who is also a brother of the highest representative of the Judicial depart- ment of the State—men who are an honor to our institutions—a graduate of Princeton College and a man who stands at the top in all departments of his profession, as well as officially. I have the honor to call upon Brigadier-General John D. McGill, Surgeon-General of the National Guard of New Jersey. RESPONSE BY GENERAL McGILL. Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the District Medical Society of the County of Camden : Allow me to congratulate you upon this very successful celebration •of the semi-centennial of the foundation of your Society. I regret very much, gentlemen, that I was unable to be present with you this afternoon to take part in the exercises, but I understand from those who were present that those exercises were of the most absorbing interest, and that the eloquence of the orators was beyond precedent. But at the finale of your golden jubilee, to-night, I am most happy to ■be present to exchange cordial greetings and to pledge your good health. It appears to me fit and proper that you should have a repre- sentative of the District Medical Society of the County of Hudson with you this evening. There is an analogy between the counties of Camden and Hudson which should serve to stimulate the interest of the citizens of one county in the affairs of the other. They are both, so to speak, terminal counties of the State; both are located opposite metropolitan cities, and the shores of both are washed by majestic and famous rivers. There may be points of difference, doubtless there are, but these being of a local or political nature, we will not talk about them to-night. Now, your toastmaster has called upon me to respond to the toast -of " The State of New Jersey." New Jersey is a small State in com- 57 parison with some of her larger sisters, but, small as she is, she compares favorably in many respects with the leading states of the Union. What she lacks in quantity she makes up in quality. Her area of eight thousand square miles of territory, in comparison with the two hundred and twenty-six thousand square miles of territory of Texas, seems very small, indeed. But it is best, in comparing Texas to New Jersey, to limit the comparison to square miles of territory, for if you go beyond that, the comparison will be odious, to Texas. The situation of New Jersey is a " coign of natural vantage." Located, as she is, between the two greatest and most populous states in the Union, she possesses exceptional advantages and benefits, and she is not slow to take advantage of them. There are some people who live outside of New Jersey, and are strangers to the State, who have their minds filled with erroneous ideas and prejudice against the State. The common belief among such people is that New Jersey is a barren, sterile, sandy waste of ground ; that its leading industries are the cultivation and production of cranberries, watermelons, sweet potatoes, applejack and mosquitoes ; a mere stretch of sandy seashore, between the states of Pennsylvania and New York, owned and over-run by railroads. Little does the traveler imagine, as he is whirled in the steam-car over the expanse of territory that stretches between New York and Philadelphia, that he is crossing a State which, in point of population, is the sixteenth, and in point of manufactures, education, products of soil, and the intelligence of its people, second to no state of its size in the Union. It is true that New Jersey is over-run with railroads. I believe there are over two thousand miles of railroads in the State ; that would make about one mile of railroad to every four square miles of territory. Well, in some respects, the undue extension of railroads are to be deprecated, yet we cannot but admit that they are great civilizers, and that they promote progress. Wherever you find that the iron rail is laid, there, in due time, civilization and progress will surely follow. New Jersey, as I have said, has an abundance of railroads, but she makes good use of them by imposing a State tax upon them, which tax fills her treasury. Through a surplus of funds thus created, her citizens, especially those who are agriculturalists, reap great benefits, for they escajie the infliction of a direct State tax. It is true a great 58 injustice is done by the laws controlling the imposition of railroad taxes in New Jersey, to the larger cities of the State, particularly railroad terminal cities, like Camden and Jersey City, where railroads own great areas of land and much other property, and where they have the benefits of local protection, but fail to pay their share of local taxation. It is hoped that in the near future, our legislators will be honest and just enough to pass laws that will remedy this unfair discrimination. Our State treasury is in quite a flourishing con- dition. This, of course, is not an unmixed evil, because at times it stimulates unscrupulous and dishonest politicians to organize raids thereon ; but, as a rule, the finances of our State have been, and are to-day, managed with fair ability and honesty. The proximity of the two great cities of New York and Philadel- phia causes an overflow of population into New Jersey, particularly in the portions of the State which are contiguous to these cities. This- overflow of population has been found to be composed of people generally of a very desirable character. The people who come here to live make very fair citizens. Now, this new class of immigrants have entirely upset the old rule of politics in the State. No longer is the State surely Democratic or Republican ; it depends on what a political party does to make its record popular whether the people entrust it with power or not. The vote to-day in New Jersey that decides elections is a non-partisan vote. If the party in power has been guilty of derelictions of duty and has failed to keep its promises, then the people at the next elections as speedily as possible put it out of power; so that the average politician in New Jersey has a whole- some fear and awe of the people ; he is put upon his good behavior, and he must give a good account of his stewardship or the people will mark him for future reference. Lincoln's famous aphorism. serves to him as a continual warning. It is this: "You can fool all the people some of the time; some of the people you can fool all the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." Gentlemen, after I left home to-day and was on the train en route to Camden, it suddenly occurred to me that I had forgotten something; I couldn't think exactly what it was. What was it ? To my consterna- tion it dawned upon me that I had forgotten to write out and learn a speech. Now, I am not a public speaker nor after dinner talker, and I was in a terrible dilemma. You know what we doctors do—that we put everything off to the last moment. I put the preparation of this speech off to the last moment. There I was in the car speeding 59 towards Camden with nothing to say when I got there. What did I do ? I did as any one of you would have done; I put my hand in my pocket, I found I had a pad of prescription blanks, and I tried to write a speech—at least the outlines of one. That is my apology for using these notes. I will omit a number of matters concerning our State I had noted down in my memoranda to talk about, and in con- clusion will briefly call your attention to New Jersey's history. While New Jersey has been wonderfully progressive and prosper- ous in modern times, she was the scene of historical events in the past, of absorbing interest. From the time that the Swedes estab- lished their settlements on your Delaware, and the Dutch their settlements on our Hudson, and through all the intervening time, first under the rule of the Dutch, then under the rule of the English, and the division of Jersey into East and West Jersey, down through the War for Independence, her history was of intense interest. During the War for Independence, the colony of New Jersey was thoroughly loyal and true to the cause of the Continental Congress. The State sobriquet you have all heard of, "Jersey Blue," originated from her known sympathy with the Whig party in that momentous struggle. In the dark days of '76, '77, and '78, when the cause of freedom seemed doomed, and the spark of liberty appeared about to be extin- guished, the brave and heroic achievements and brilliant successes of the patriot armies under Washington at Trenton, Princeton and Mon- mouth, this "great news from the Jerseys " served to stimulate and inspire with fresh courage the patriot armies, and nerve them still more and longer to continue to battle valiantly until their cause was finally triumphant. Through that long and weary struggle, New Jersey was one of the main theatres of action, and its people—all honor be to them—were always to be found loyal and true. Tories were scarce, but the Whigs were plenty. In the late War of the Rebellion, when occasion required, and patriotism and sacrifice were called for, New Jersey, as usual, responded nobly and offered freely of her blood and treasure for the preservation of those institutions which she had battled formerly so bravely to establish. Of ninety-eight—mark you, gentlemen—of ninety-eight thousand of her sons who were capable of doing military duty, eighty-eight thousand of their names—all but ten thousand— were found upon the rolls of the federal army during the four years. of the war. 6o One word more. I refer to the matter of education. Common school and higher education in New Jersey is in an advanced and progressive condition. We have numerous centres of education in the State. In the larger of our cities, the common schools are effect- ive and capable, and there is hardly a city of over twenty or thirty thousand population that hasn't its High School. Besides all these, there is, within the boundaries of this State, one of the three great universities of the country, and I think the most progressive of the three, and that is Princeton. New Jersey also has other noted and deservedly famous colleges, such as Rutgers, Stevens Institute of Technology, Seton Hall and others I do not think of at this time. Gentlemen, I trust you will pardon me for taking up so much of your time. You made a mistake in giving me New Jersey to talk about, because on that subject I do not know when to stop. "THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF NEW JERSEY." The Toastmaster.—The stirring and patriotic sentiment you have just listened to is a fitting prelude to the next toast, because coupled and consonant with the cause of Princeton, Trenton and Monmouth, we have, coming down the corridors of time, the reputation of medical men who stood foremost in those stirring times and in those terrible battles. We have their descendants with us to-day and we have the medical profession, in all great events, standing prominently forward ; and it gives me great pleasure to have to greet you to-night a man whose great-grandfather was a general in the Revolutionary army, who occupied the position of Senator, who was a Judge, as well as a theologian. You will remember that the theologians of this State were not slow. You remember the brother who, at the battle of Monmouth, brought out the hymn books when the ammunition was scarce, and said. "Give them Watts, boys," and even the women in the days of Molly Pitcher went to the guns. You will remember, she never stopped to see if her husband was properly cared for in death, because she knew if they won the battle that his memory would be forever perpetuated in the history of his country. Dr. Elmer is President of the State Medical Society to-day, of which his great-grandfather was the first President, the oldest Society in this country, showing that the race has been properly propagated; and in his official capacity is a representative of other members of your 6i Society, whose grandfathers made a name in those fields. It is with much pleasure that I invite Dr. William Elmer to speak to the toast, " The Medical Society of New Jersey." RESPONSE BY DR. WILLIAM ELMER. Mr. President, Members of the Camden County Medical Society and Gentlemen ; I am very sure if the parent Society could be present with us to-night she would most gladly tender her sincere congratulations and cordial greetings to her vigorous and comely daughter—the Camden County Medical Society. Allow me, therefore, as the repre- sentative of that honorable body, the Medical Society of New Jersey, to express to you her warmest felicitations and her earnest good wishes for the vigor, prosperity and usefulness of this Society, which to-day so happily celebrates its golden anniversary. The State Society is not unmindful of the fact that this County Society was the first of the District Societies to place the parent Society under obligations, as making her yrour guest at the annual meeting at Atlantic City, in 1875, attended by the favor of an elaborate reception and banquet and a complimentary special train for the transportation of her members. The following year, the same generous treatment was accorded us at Cape May, and repeatedly since. The courtesy of your hospitality has exceeded that of all other County Societies, and for this let me to-night, also, return to you the State Society's heartfelt thanks. You have to-day properly honored two of the three distinguished men who officiated at the birth of your Society in 1846—Dr. Cooper and Dr. Taylor—the third being Dr. Thornton. These three were the first accredited delegates to represent Camden County in the assemblage of the Medical Society of New Jersey. And from that time to the present day, right loyally have you served the State Society as regards her membership, her attendance, her interest and her well- being, and you have, in turn, been rewarded by having her highest honors "repeatedly conferred upon many of your worthy members, some of whom remain until the present; but some are fallen asleep. It is delightful, Mr. President, to ha.ve this reciprocal cordiality thus remain vested between these two Societies. It is as it should be between mother and daughter, and between all her children—each aiding the mutual interests of the others. Are we not all integral 62 parts of one professional body? Are not our aims, our endeavors and our rewards the same ? Are we not actuated by the same humane principle—the moral and physical elevation and preservation of our fellow-beings ? Are we not all following the footsteps of the Divine Physician, whose object in life was accomplished in going about doing good, both to soul and body? To show the humanity of our art, let me quo*e a sentence from the Constitution of the Medical Society, when it was incorporated in 1766, as expressing the sentiment of the philanthropic men who were its founders, and whose memory we cherish with deepest veneration. They use these words: " Firstly, That we will never enter any house in quality of our profession, nor undertake any case, either in physic or surgery, but with the purest intention of giving the utmost relief and assistance that our art shall enable us. which we will diligently and faithfully exert for that purpose. That each of us will respectively do our utmost to maintain harmony and brotherly affection in the Society, to promote the usefulness of it, both to the profession and to the public, and at all times to support this institution and advance the dignity of medicine." Are not these the same sentiments, sir, to which each of us sub- scribe, and in the same spirit as did the originators of our Society ? And will we not maintain them as long as life is afforded us, or our right hand retains its cunning ? Let to-day's exercises fill us with fresh zeal, incite us with new hopes and earnest desires, not only for the good and the welfare of our respective Societies, both State and County, but that we. like those who have gone before us, may emulate their high-toned example, may have enkindled in us a desire to do more in the interest of our fellow-beings, to cultivate that charity which is twice blessed—to be noble, high-minded, man-loving men. A Spartan prisoner was once asked by his captors, " what were the principal products of his country." Raising himself with proud dignity, he replied, " In Lacedasmonia we raise men." So, gentlemen and fellow-members, let us feel to-night, in view of the worthy heroes who have preceded us in the profession, and of the great duties and obligations that yet devolve upon us in our future lives, that likewise in our medical fraternity we can also say, "In our medical societies we raise MEN.'' 63 "THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH." The Toastmaster.—The State early recognized the importance and possibility of sanitary science and preventive medicine. It recognized that the health of the people was a part of the care of the State. It instituted the best known method of conserving these interests in the establishment of a State Board of Health, which was directed and systematized by Dr. Ezra M. Hunt, one of the greatest minds, one of the most comprehensive minds, one of the ablest men, as well as one of the most honorable and conscientious this State has ever produced. He has passed to his great reward, and we have to-night the honor- able and able representative who is now occupying the high and im- portant position of Secretary of the State Board of Health. He has already shown such ability and interest that he bids fair to equal the great reputation of his illustrious predecessor. It gives me great pleasure, therefore, to introduce to you Dr. Henry Mitchell, of Asbury Park, the Secretary of the State Board of Health. RESPONSE BY DR. HENRY MITCHELL. Gentlemen of the Camden County Medical Society : It is my good fortune to participate in the pleasures of these festivi- ties and to enjoy your hospitality, because I have the honor to repre- sent on this occasion an organization in which you are all much interested—an institution of your own creation. The State Board of Health was established by the Legislature because it was demanded by the physicians of the State, and it has continuously received the active support of the State and County Medical Societies. Action looking toward the establishment of a central sanitary organization was taken by the State Medical Society as early as 1847, and efforts to this end were repeated in 1848, 1849 and 1853, but it was not until 1866 that these endeavors to promote the public health were attended by success. At that time my honored predecessor. Dr. Ezra M. Hunt, acting as a representative of the State Society, to- gether with his associates on the committee, secured the earnest attention of the Governor, and finally, in 1877, obtained the enactment of a law constituting State and local boards of health. During several years after its establishment the work of the State Board of Health was almost entirely devoted to efforts to call public attention to the value of hygiene, and progress marked each succeeding year. 64 At last local boards of health were organized in all of the 380 sanitary districts in the State, and to-day a large number of these districts are engaged in studying local conditions and influences which may un- favorably affect the public health, and in many localities the most ad- vanced methods of health protection are in daily use. The State Board has closely observed the systems in operation in other States and in other countries for the better and more effectual application of the principles of hygiene, and it has been industrious in guiding and encouraging the members and officers of local Boards of Health. An experience of eighteen years has shown that certain departments of the work pertaining to the restriction of the spread of preventable diseases cannot be satisfactorily performed by the local health authorities, and these duties have gradually been undertaken by the State Board. The rule which guides in this relation is that each local Board of Health shall perform all executive functions which affect its own district solely or mainly, and that the State Board shall execute the laws in cases where the public health of more than one sanitary district is endangered by the existence of unhealthful con- ditions. In accordance with this principle the law has assigned to the State Board of Health the duties of recording vital statistics; supervising the introduction of public water supplies and sewerage systems, under certain conditions ; the investigation and suppression of epidemic outbreaks ; the supervision of lines of travel ; the super- vision of the milk supply, and the record of cases of communicable diseases. Recently the Board has undertaken to supply to physicians and health officers facilities for the employment of the bacteriological method in the diagnosis of germ diseases, and for this purpose a laboratory has been established in Princeton, to which specimens may be sent for examination in cases of suspected tuberculosis, diphtheria and other affections of bacterial origin. This service, conducted free of charge, has been warmly welcomed by physicians, and it promises to become an invaluable and essential aid to practitioners throughout the State. The use of the mails for the transmission of specimens of diseased tissues for bacteriological examination, which has just been granted by our liberal and enlightened Postmaster-General, will practically place the new laboratory at the door of every physician, even in the most distant portions of the State. It is believed that this service will secure the detection of many doubtful cases of infectious 65 disease, and that health officers will thus be enabled to provide isola- tion and thereby effectually prevent epidemics, under circumstances which have hitherto been beyond the reach of precautionary rules. It is estimated that with the hearty co-operation of physicians, this service will result in preventing twenty-five per cent, of the cases of diphtheria which now occur in New Jersey, and that the lives of not less than 400 persons can be saved annually from this disease alone. We are looking forward to more rapid advances in the future in local sanitary administration, and prominent among the improvements in our department should be the adoption of the merit system, other- wise Civil Service rules, for the selection and appointment of health officers. Sanitary inspectors should have an assurance of permanent employment and living wages, and they should be selected after a competitive examination. Efficient officials could thus be obtained. Permit me to thank you, gentlemen, for the honor done me on this occasion, and to bespeak for the State Board of Health a continuance of the strong and unwavering support which has always been accorded to it by the medical profession. "THE ORDER OF MILITARY SURGEONS OF NEW JERSEY." The Toastmaster.—Some years ago, two physicians were sitting in an office in Camden together, having a little chat while enjoying their cigars, talking over some little matters—among them, the best inter- ests of the people—as doctors are apt to do. One of these physicians had had great experience in the service of his country during the Civil War, and.the other was prominently connected with the martial affairs of this State. It was suggested that by organization of the military surgeons, much more good could be done for the people, and especially a great deal more for the physicians. Their position in the army and in the various organizations, it was felt, could be strength- ened and alleviated, and there was suggested the idea of the Military Order of Surgeons. We have a number of representatives of that Order with us this evening and, in the absence of Colonel Mortimer Lampson, whom we had hoped to hear speak to the sentiment of the Military Order of Surgeons of New Jersey, I have the pleasure of calling upon Major Daniel Strock, the Secretary of the Order and Surgeon of the Sixth Regiment. 66 RESPONSE BY DR. DANIEL STROCK. Mr. President and Gentlemen : It gives me pleasure to speak on this subject, and I am glad that the Order of Military Surgeons has been brought to your attention in this manner. As the toastmaster has said, a number of the members of this Society are members of the Order, and its interests are their interests; and therefore we feel that, to a certain extent, the welfare of the Order is the concern of all present. There are several members here who are members of the Order of Military Surgeons by virtue of their connection with the National Guard of the State of New Jersey and by virtue, also, of their connection with the Volunteer service of the United States, and for that reason we pay a proper toast to these men. As members of the Order from this county, I may mention Dr. H. Genet Taylor and Dr. E. L. B. Godfrey, who were the original members from this Society, Drs. Orange W. Braymer and Wilson Gill Bailey. Now, it is of interest to us to know that this is the first Order of Military Surgeons organized it this country - the first State military organization of surgeons to be formed in the United States; and it is also of concern to us that the inception of the Order was in Camden, and to Dr. Godfrey is due the credit of having conceived the idea of the formation of this Society; and I may say with perfect truth that the plan was perfected in Dr. Taylor's office. In an informal talk between Dr. Godfrey and Dr. Taylor, the outlines of the Order were formulated, and as a result of that conversation we have to-day the Order of Military Surgeons of New Jersey; and further than that— showing you the far-reaching effect of what seemed to-be a small be- ginning—there have been subsequently formed other similar organiza- tions throughout the various States of the Union where the National Guard is in existence; and still further, there has been organized the National Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, with a membership not alone composed of surgeons connected with the State Militia, but of the regular army. We may take a certain pride in this, I think, because, without the institution of the original society in this State, in all probability the Order would not yet have been formed in the United States. As officers of this Order we have had the pleasure of having had Dr. Godfrey to fill the chair of President, and Dr. Taylor was the first Vice-President. The first President of the Order was 67 Surgeon-General John D. McGill, one of our distinguished guests. Another guest, Dr. Franklin Gauntt, of Burlington, N. J., has just com- pleted a term of service as President. It is evident the Order is quite well represented here to-night by Presidents, Vice-Presidents and members, notwithstanding it has been in existence only a few years. This Order has undoubtedly had a beneficial effect upon the morale of the Guard of this State, and it is largely due to Surgeon-General McGill that very great reforms have been made in the medical depart- ment of the National Guard. It was he who conceived the idea of an hospital and ambulance corps. New Jersey was one of the first States to organize such a corps, which was done under his super- vision. While upon this subject, I may call attention to the fact that great advances have been made in the medical department of the National Guard, more particularly by the Surgeon-General taking the initiative and insisting upon certain reforms being effected. It was formerly the custom to appoint surgeons without an examination, and still later it was the custom to appoint them with scarcely any examination; and now, as a result of his insistence, it is a very difficult thing to pass the ordeal of the examination. In this arm of service to our State, the physicians have always borne an important part, and it is well that the standard of proficiency should be high. In conclusion, I can assert that the Order of Military Surgeons of New Jersey will always be the partisan of the Surgeon-General in his •endeavor to increase the efficiency and add to the dignity of the military surgeon. "OUR GUESTS." The Toastmaster.—-In reply to the toast of "Our Guests," I am requested to call upon Dr. J. Orlando White, a gentleman well known to you all. RESPONSE BY DR. J. ORLANDO WHITE. You will see by reference to the programme that Dr. W. H. Ireland is assigned to speak to this toast. We regret his inability to be present this evening. I suppose they called on me because of my venerable age. I am so old that I have been twenty-one years a retired physician. I am so old that the Society has honored me. as you will see on the membership list, by placing me on the super- annuated list. 68 1 wish to say to our guests, one and all, whether from other societies, whether from the management of the Cooper Hospital, the State Society, the Military Department, the Judicial Department, or the Department of Medicine, that the Camden District Medical Society, through me, extends to you greeting and its hearty apprecia- tion of your presence here, and hopes you may join with us again, perhaps, at the one hundredth anniversary. "THE JUDICIAL ASPECTS OF THE CASE." The Toastmaster.—It becomes a painful duty, almost invariably, during a portion of our professional career, to take the uncomfortable position of the witness-stand; and I never appear before the Supreme Court of New Jersey without congratulating myself that we have on the Bench an illustrious member of this Society, a man who is not only capable of protecting members of the profession from any of the wiles of the learned profession of law, who might find it to their interest, or to that of their clients, to subvert the representative of this profession upon the stand—not only is he equal to that, but what is more satisfactory, he is equal to understanding everything that the doctor says and seeing the force of his testimony. The State, the profession and this Society have been greatly honored, and the community, we think, greatly benefited in this representative. He is so well known to you that an introduction is not necessary, but it will give us great pleasure to now hear from Judge Charles G. Garrison. RESPONSE BY JUSTICE CHARLES G. GARRISON. Mr. Toastmaster and Gentlemen: The prospect of facing more than one learned profession at a time, recalls a scene from a play that was given this winter in Philadelphia. Now, for the benefit of those who did not see it, I will state that a Senator of the United States who, for twelve years, had not visited a Western town where he had lived as a sort of a quasi cowboy, comes back and meets a little girl whom he had known before, and she says to him : " Do you remember the time that three bears came up to you as you were coming home and you only had one cartridge left, and you killed them all ?" He says, " Are you sure it was I that killed them all?" " Yes, you killed them all." " Are you 69 -sure there were three of them ?' " Oh, yes, you told me there were three." " And I killed them all with one shot ? Good shot, wasn't it?" Well, now, what one thing, in other words, in what one par- ticular can anything be said about the learned professions that would be true equally to them all ? Take the one that perhaps I know at present the best—take the law. There is the practitioner of law, the active practitioner and there is the student of law, or the Judge, who is not personally interested in the result of his investigation. Now, at once you can see that there must be a difference between the quality of minds that is evolved by him who only cares to discover the absolute truth, no matter whom it may hit, and he who wishes solely to carry a point, whether it be true or not, and no matter whom it hits. Take theology—there must be a difference between the student of theological science and metaphysics and moral laws, and that representative of theology who must fill a certain charge in order to raise a certain salary. Take the medical profession—there must be and there is a differ- ence between the student in his laboratory—between the experimenter and a man of practice, who has to go abroad and deal with people, who cannot always tell the truth, and must be politic—must win their practice; and how often does every physician regret that he cannot act in his dealings with the people that he has to treat as if he were dealing with the absolute laws of nature, when he has only one thing to consider, and that is the absolute truth. Now, then, what is the difference? It is that when we come to deal with the personal equation, when we come to deal with humanity, something more is called for than scientific knowledge; something more is called for than earnestness. You come then to deal with a moral quality which is higher than that of a theologian, higher than that of a Judge, than that of the Bar, or of the scientist. I doubt if such stirring words were ever said of the medical profession as those of Williams, when he closed his address to his students at the end of the year, and said : " Gentlemen, you alone of all of the professions, study to deal with your fellowmen, mentally, morally and physically." "THE PRESS." The Toastmaster.—Gentlemen, we all recognize that one of the greatest educators of the present day, the force that makes public opinion, that has the power to make and unmake men, to crush us or 70 to make us greater than we really are, is represented in the press ; and we have with us this evening the pioneer, the Nestor of the pro- fession of journalism in Camden, with whom you are all acquainted. It gives me great pleasure to call upon Hon. Mr. Bonsall, of the Cam- den Daily Post, to respond to " The Press." RESPONSE BY HON. HENRY L. BONSALL. Gentlemen of the Camden County Medical Society : My idea of it is that it is getting late, and I do not propose'to inflict upon you any prolonged talk about the press this evening. I wouldn't if I could, and I couldn't if I would. As I am getting older, I realize a difference. Some years ago, I considered it quite a compli- ment to be called upon to respond to a toast of the press—actually went out for that purpose. The idea of a man going around compli- menting his own words and talking about them. That isn't a good way for a press man ; it isn't a good idea, and I don't propose to do so—not at this late hour, and besides, I don't think this audience needs any information upon that point. You all know what the press is and what it is not, and I could not convince you any better than you understand it, of its excellencies and its deficiencies. I feel more like talking to these doctors; I feel at home among them. I have been here a good deal, and I feel as if I had a right to be here. I want to say, in addition to all the rest that has been said, someone asked me if I was going to get off my old speech that the medical profession of Camden is the only thing that educates the conscience in its mental and intellectual particular. I say it has done more to develop Camden than any other institution—lawyers, ministers, school teachers and everybody else combined. It is the only Society that gets together, rubs up against each other, makes the sparks fly by the attrition. I don't find that among lawyers to any great extent; don't find it in the church to the same extent, don't find it to the same extent anywhere as among the doctors. I think that is a great deal to say; I never tire of saying it as long as I come among you, and if you like to hear it you can invite me again and I will tell it to you again. As far as the press is concerned, you don't want to hear anything about that and I couldn't tell you any more than you already know. 7i "OTHER MATTERS." The Toastmaster.—We have present a member of this Society who has never failed to infuse an enthusiasm in the bosom of his auditors on any subject that he has undertaken to present; whose words to-day you saw thrill the vast audience at the Temple Theatre; who for many years has been a prominent and useful figure in our midst, closely identified with all the great movements of our profession, and particularly of this Society. I have the honor to call upon Dr. James M. Ridge. RESPONSE BY DOCTOR JAMES M. RIDGE. Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the Camden County Medical Society : The medical profession, as you call it, has its origin in the miseries of the human family. It never would have been instituted or existed but for the miseries of man. And going further into your learned professions, law would never have been instituted except for the con- troversies of the people ; if they could have settled their controversies without the aid of a lawyer, the profession of law would never have existed. Theology could not exist without controversy. In my con- ception of the actualities of medical societies, let me say that I will accord to the Camden County Medical Society an effort, a perseverance, a determination that is second to none in any State. The men of this Society are men who are workers. They may not be orators, yet have their fame in the result of accomplishing everything that is good for humanity, and everything that is scientifically correct in the medical profession, not only medically but surgically. Therefore, I can only congratulate this Society on its semi-centennial anniversary as standing — and I have been over the whole column—second to none. I say it without any fear of controversy ; I say it with love to the Society ; I say it with honor to the Society, that the Camden District Medical Society can stand alone without any assistance from any other Society in any other State. A TESTIMONIAL TO SCULPTOR ENGDAHL. The Toastmaster.—It is a fitting moment to allow the beautiful bouquet that has been provided for our eminent sculptor to be pre- sented, and I have the pleasure to call upon Dr. O. B. Gross. 72 PRESENTATION BY DR. ONAN B. GROSS. Mr. President and Gentlemen : We must not forget one individual, among others, who has aided very materially in bringing about this successful issue, and on behalf of the Medical Society I take pleasure in presenting, with its compli- ments, this token of appreciation to the sculptor, Mr. Franz L. Eng- dahl. On behalf of the Society, also, I desire to express our thanks for his endeavors in our behalf. THE COOPER HOSPITAL. The Toastmaster.—Gentlemen, nothing so pre-eminently stands before us as representing the dignity, usefulness and grandeur of the work of our profession—nothing stands before us more prominently than that magnificient charity which has been established in our midst by the men of whom we have heard to-day. The appreciation of 12,000 maimed, sick and blind—for even the blind have been restored —that find in that institution relief for their sufferings, when they are unable by the environment and the unfortunate conditions of life to procure the necessary attention in the hour of adversity and misery, testify to the great work that is being daily done. It is one of the grandest sights, to a man whose heart throbs with sympathy for humanity and with its sufferings, to see the work that institution has done. It can never be too much appreciated by the people of this community. It is a fitting recognition of that institution that its representative, the President of the Board of Managers of Cooper Hospital, be requested to favor us with in a few words at this time. I have the honor to call upon Mr. Augustus Reeve. RESPONSE BY MR. AUGUSTUS REEVE. It has been a great pleasure to me to be present with you this even- ing. The members of this Society are making history, and I ask of you that the history should be a correct one. Perhaps you are not all aware of the exact condition of the Cooper Hospital, and I want to call your attention to this fact, that to Dr. Richard M. Cooper be- longs, in a large measure, the honor of that institution. He it was who appointed the incorporators of the Cooper Hospital, and not alone to Dr. Cooper belongs the honor and credit, but a great pro- portion of it belongs to two ladies. To Sarah Eastlack Cooper and 73 Elizabeth B. Cooper are due the honor of enabling us to make Cooper Hospital what it is to-day and what we hope to make it. By the means they placed at our disposal, we have been enabled to do what we have; and we therefore ask you that in the future you should give them the honor which is justly due them. THE SOCIETY'S GUESTS. The following guests honored the Society with their presence at the ceremonies attending the celebration, and at the banquet: General John D. McGill, Surgeon-General of the National Guard, of New Jersey, Jersey City, N. J. Hon. Charles G. Garrison, Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, Camden, N. J. Dr. William Elmer, President of the Medical Society of New Jersey, Trenton, N. J. Dr. Henry Mitchell, Secretary of the State Board of Health of New Jersey, Asbury Park, N. J. Mr. Augustus Reeve, President of the Board of Man- agers of the Cooper Hospital, Camden, N. j. Mr. Richard H. Reeve, Secretary of the Board of Managers of the Cooper Hospital, Camden, N. J. Dr. Franklin Gauntt, member of the State Board of Health of New Jersey, Burlington, N. J. Hon. H. L. Bonsall, editor of the Camden Daily Post, Camden, N. J. Mr. Franz L. Engdahl, sculptor, Camden, N. J. Dr. Henry Elmer, chairman of the Standing Com- mittee of the Medical Society of New Jersey, Bridgeton, N.J. Dr. William H. Edwards, Williamstown, N. J. Dr. H. E. Stout, Wenonah, N. J. Dr. George E. Reading, Woodbury, N. J. Dr. Maximilian West, Camden, N. J. 74 Dr. William W. Kain, Camden, N. J. Dr. Levi B. Hirst, Camden, N. J. Dr. Milton M. Osmun, Camden, N. J. Dr. William I. Kelchner, Camden, N. J. Dr. Paul M. Mecray, Camden, N. J. Dr. Marcus K. Mines, Camden, N J. Dr. Joseph L. Nicholson, Camden, N. J. Dr. William E. Miller, Camden, N. J. MEMBERS WHO WERE PRESENT. The following members of the Society were also pres ent: Dr. Joseph S. Baer, Camden, N. J. Dr. Orange W. Braymer, Camden, N. J. Dr. Wilson G. Baily, Camden, N. J. Dr. Philip W. Beale, Camden, N. J. Dr. Dowling Benjamin, Camden, N. J. Dr. Henry E. Branin, Blackwood, N. J. Dr. Duncan W. Blake, Gloucester, N. J. Dr. John K. Bennett, Gloucester, N. J. Dr. Sylvan G. Bushey, Camden N. J. Dr. William A. Davis, Camden, N. J. Dr. Eugene E. De Grofft, Camden, N. J. Dr. Clarence B. Donges, Camden, N. J. Dr. John W. Donges, Camden N. J. Dr. John G. Doron, Camden, N. J. Dr. Joel W. Fithian, Camden, N. J. Dr. E. L. B. Godfrey, Camden, N. J. Dr. Onan B. Gross, Camden, N. J. Dr. J. J. Haley, Gloucester, N. J. Dr. Conrad G. Hoell, Camden, N. J. Dr. Franklin L. Horning, Camden, N. J. Dr. Joseph E. Hurff, Blackwood, N. J. 75 Dr. William H. Iszard, Camden, N. J. Dr. Charles H. Jennings, Merchantville, N. J. Dr. William B. Jennings, Haddonfield, N. J. Dr. William S. Jones, Camden, N. J. Dr. William H. Kensinger, Cramer Hill, N. J. Dr. Grant E. Kirk, Camden, N. J, Dr. John F. Lavitt, Camden, N. J. Dr. Adriette LeFevre, Blackwood, N. J. Dr. Benjamin S. Lewis, Camden, N. J. Dr. Ahab H. Lippincott, Camden, N. J. Dr. Alexander Marcy, Riverton, N. J. Dr. F. W. Marcy, Camden, N. J. Dr. John W. Marcy, Merchantville, N. J. Dr. Alexander McAlister, Camden, N. J. Dr. Alexander M. Mecray, Camden, N. J. Dr. Howard F. Palm, Camden, N, J. Dr. William R. Powell, Camden, N. J. Dr. Edward Phelan, Camden, N. J. Dr. Sophia Presley, Camden, N. J. Dr. James M. Ridge, Camden, N. J. Dr. E. A. Y. Schellinger, Camden, N. J. Dr. Henry H. Sherk, Cramer Hill, N. J. Dr. Henry A. M. Smith, Gloucester, N. J. Dr. Jacob F. Stock, Camden, N. J. Dr. Daniel Strock, Camden, N. J. Dr. John R. Stevenson, Haddonfield, N. J. Dr. Daniel M. Stout, Berlin, N. J. Dr. Genet Taylor, Camden, N. J. Dr. William A. Westcott, Berlin, N. J. Dr. E. B. Woolston, Marlton, N. J. Dr. William H. Wingender, Camden, N. J. 76 HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE. It is proper to accord to the Committee of Arrange- ments, the credit that is so justly their due, for the effici- ent services rendered the Society in perfecting the details for this important event. Every member gave of his time freely during the busiest season of the year, and labored unselfishly to make the occasion a success in every particular; and the fact that every event of the pro- gramme was timed in advance with such accuracy that the public exercises closed at exactly the hour prearranged for, attests the forethought and accurate judgment be- stowed upon the most minute details.