History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

466 History of Medical Practice in IllinoisLibrary. The Chicago Medical Library Association came to an end. Therecords and papers of the Association were placed in the Chicago HistoricalSociety's Collection, and the reports of Dr. Ephraim Ingals, the treasurer,were published in the 'North American Practitioner'a receipt from the Newberry Library trustees."together with3. Quincy Medical and Library Association.—Dr. Edmund B. Montgomeryof Quincy, 21 is the chief source of information about this Association,which was incorporated under the laws of Illinois on December 23,1896 and finally dissolved in December 1908. There were 15 original members,of which only Dr. Montgomery and Dr. W. W. Williams are stillliving and Dr. Williams, "in the lapse of 43 years" had "forgotten all aboutthe Society." Dr. Montgomery's letter stated that the books and journalsacquired during the period of existence of the associationamounted to1830 bound volumes. This material, at the time of dissolution of this "readingclub" was divided between the Quincy Public Library, Quincy Collegeand Blessing Hospital. The proceedings of the association "were quitevoluminous and are preserved in a volume of minutes kept in the QuincyPublic Library, along with the catalog of books and date and source ofacquisition." 22Action of the Illinois State Medical Society In Regard to LibrariesThe first direct reference to a medical library by the Illinois State MedicalSociety was made in 1877 5 in Dr. James Nevins Hyde's speech of welcomein which he speaks of the Library of the Medical Press Association, which"is the nucleus of what we trust will one day become a flourishing institution."In 1885, at the 35th session of the Society, the following resolutionwas adopted: "a committee of three be appointed by the chair to report tothe society at its next annual meeting on the wisdom and propriety as wellas the best method of aiding any public medical libraries in the state." But21At the time of this writing (1952), Dr. Montgomery was 94 years old and was stillactive. In 1951, he had been honored by the American Medical Association at its annualmeeting as the oldest practicing physician in the United States. His gracious communicationto the author was written in long hand.22In a sense, a memento of the Quincy Medical and Library Association is deposited inthe library of the American College of Surgeons in the form of a beautifully boundvolume entitled Surgery One Hundred Years Ago: an historical study, written by theGerman surgeon, George Fischer. The original work, dedicated to the German SurgicalAssociation and published, it seems, in 1878, was translated by Carl H. von Klein forthe Journal of the American Medical Association, in which it appeared in excerpts during1897 and 1898. Dr. Montgomery, appreciating highly its value, had a typewrittencopy prepared and bound, with the names of the author, the translator and his ownas compiler and bookmaker inscribed, and presented it to the American College ofSurgeons some time between 1943 and 1945. Dr. Montgomery says that this work "isunique in that no such volume can possibly be published and its contents are worthyof preservation by the College."