History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

CHAPTER IVORGANIZATION OF THE ILLINOISSTATE MEDICAL SOCIETY:THE HOUSE OF DELEGATESBy FRANCES C. ZIMMER, Ph.B.*THEofficial proceedings of the governing body of any organization canbe considered, fundamentally, the history of the organization itself.Printed transactions have come down to us since twenty-nine forwardlooking,progressive physicians gathered in Springfield on June 4, 1850,and concerned themselves seriously and thoughtfully with the problemsthey had to meet medically, economically and ethically. Having come toorder in the State Library Room, Dr. Rudolphus Rouse of Peoria assumedthe chair on motion of Dr. W. B. Herrick of Chicago. The first actiontaken, "on motion of Dr. Blaney of Chicago," was a resolution "that wedeem it expedient to proceed to the organization of a State MedicalSociety." 1That afternoon the group adopted a Constitution and By-Laws, andelected officers for the ensuing year as follows:President William B. Herrick, ChicagoVice-Presidents . . . Rudolphus Rouse, PeoriaSecretariesA. G. Henry, SpringfieldEdwin G. Meek, ChicagoS. A. Paddock, PrincetonTreasurerJ°hn A. Halderman, CarlinvilleThese officers "were unanimously elected, and the Convention by vote,resolved itself into the Illinois State Medical Society."These early meetings gave us many of our present forms and traditions,such as the Committees on Arrangements, Practical Medicine, Surgery,Obstetrics, Drugs and Medicines, and Publications.* Mrs. Zimmer received the Ph.B. degree from the University of Chicago. She is acharter member of the Medical Society Executives Conference. Her work with theIllinois State Medical Society started in January, 1936, and she is at the present timeExecutive Assistant to the Secretary of that Society.—EditorxZeuch found that the Society had originally been founded in 1840. For an accountof that meeting, the reader is referred to Volume I of this series, p. 394.36