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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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40 <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Medical Practice <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>oistwo <strong>in</strong>stitutions. The men accepted the <strong>in</strong>vitations, and on Wednesdaymorn<strong>in</strong>g, June 8, 1853, the tour was made.For the first time, the House made mention "that we have learned withmuch pleasure <strong>of</strong> the Institution <strong>of</strong> the National Pharmaceutical Association,and would hereby express a desire and <strong>in</strong>tention. . . to cooperatewith the laudable exertions <strong>of</strong> that body"—-whereby <strong>in</strong>terpr<strong>of</strong>essional relationswere born. The group drummed hard on the subject <strong>of</strong> education <strong>of</strong>apothecaries and druggists, and they asked aga<strong>in</strong> that the State set uplicens<strong>in</strong>g boards and that laws govern<strong>in</strong>g <strong>medical</strong> <strong>practice</strong> be passed.Twelve delegates were elected to attend the meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the House <strong>of</strong>Delegates <strong>of</strong> the American Medical Association to be held <strong>in</strong> May 1854, <strong>in</strong>St. Louis. If any man so elected were unable to attend, he was empowered byaction <strong>of</strong> the House to appo<strong>in</strong>t his own substitutes, <strong>in</strong> order to assure fullrepresentation for Ill<strong>in</strong>ois.These early physicians listened attentively to various reports from theSections then established, and they also heard the Annual Address. Thisyear Dr. N. S. Davis discussed "The Intimate Relation <strong>of</strong> Medical Scienceto the Whole Field <strong>of</strong> Natural Sciences." Parts <strong>of</strong> his address could be readtoday and would apply just as truly: "Medic<strong>in</strong>e does not merely aim toalleviate and cure disease by send<strong>in</strong>g its votaries to the couch <strong>of</strong> sickness,but it looks to a higher, nobler purpose than this; it seeks even the prevention<strong>of</strong> disease, not by the exhibition <strong>of</strong> pretended specifics to <strong>in</strong>dividuals,but by the removal <strong>of</strong> the causes from whole communities. . . . Everywherethe members <strong>of</strong> our pr<strong>of</strong>ession, both <strong>in</strong> their <strong>in</strong>dividual and associatedcapacities, are <strong>in</strong>vestigat<strong>in</strong>g the sources <strong>of</strong> disease and urg<strong>in</strong>g uponthe attention <strong>of</strong> legislators and municipal <strong>of</strong>ficersthe means for their removal."Public health was <strong>in</strong> an embryonic state; public welfare, sanitation andcontrol <strong>of</strong> communicable disease were <strong>in</strong> their <strong>in</strong>fancy. Nevertheless, themen felt that the forward strides had been long and that they lived <strong>in</strong> anenlightened era, for Jenner had "bequeathed to the world the boon <strong>of</strong>vacc<strong>in</strong>ation." They boasted <strong>of</strong> their "wide and enlightened views;"theyfought for honor <strong>in</strong> their pr<strong>of</strong>ession; they asked that "preceptors or practitionerstake only those students versed <strong>in</strong> book knowledge" so that thosegiven diplomas by <strong>medical</strong> colleges would be "true students <strong>of</strong> a mightyscience."1854— La SalleThe fourth annual meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong> opened on Tuesday, June 6,1854, <strong>in</strong> the Congregational Church at La Salle. It was called to order at3 P.M. by the President, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Daniel Bra<strong>in</strong>ard. Forty members attended,represent<strong>in</strong>g twelve county societies, hospitals and <strong>medical</strong> schools.One <strong>of</strong> the first reports heard was that <strong>of</strong> Dr. Thomas Hall <strong>of</strong> Toulon,

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