Transactions of the American Medical Association (Volume 9) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ADDEESS GEORGE B. WOOD, PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION. ADDRESS OF GEOEGE B. WOOD, PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION. Custom demands, as one of the expiring duties of your presiding officer, that he should leave a legacy at least of good wishes, if not of something more valuable behind him. In compliance with this duty, I propose to say a few parting words, which, whatever else they may convey to you, will assuredly not interpret duly the sentiments of him who utters them, unless they make you sensible of his grateful and most kindly feelings towards his fellow members, and of his zealous interest in the great objects of our Association. The present is a suitable occasion for taking a survey of the Association; for looking around towards the boundaries of its labors, interests, and duties, and noting whether something may not present itself in the view, which may profitably occupy, for a few minutes, our serious and earnest attention. Let us first throw a comparative glance from the present backward to the past. Perhaps by so doing we may be better prepared to look forward intelligently into the future. Have the hopes with which the Association set out in its mission of self-imposed duty, been fulfilled ? Has the loud call which it sent forth through the nation, startling the profession from its uneasy slumber, succeeded in awakening it thoroughly to a sense of its high responsibilities, and arousing a determined spirit of progress? Or has it died away in gradually diminishing echoes, leaving but a drowsy memory of that spirit-stirring appeal ? Have the annual gatherings of the elect of the profession, their joint deliberations in council, their various legislation, the practical inquiry set on foot or encouraged, not omitting their exploits at the festal board, and ...