History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

Organization of State Medical Society 63lation as would place the Medical Corps of the Army on an equal footingwith the officers of the other staff corps of the Army and of the Medici 1Corps of the Navy.Dr. E. W. Gray of Bloomington presented a paper on the subject olsmallpox in which he said: "There is no cure for smallpox yet known. . . .But if smallpox cannot be cured, it can be prevented, and prevention iseven better than cure. That it can be prevented was announced to theworld 75 years ago, by that apostle of humanity, the illustriousfenner."Then Dr. Gray asked for and secured passage of a resolution for the Societyto appoint a committee "to prepare and present a memorial to the IllinoisLegislature, praying for the enactment of a law which will require allpupils of the public schools, and other educational institutions supportedin whole or in part by state or county tax, and all inmates of asylums, hospitals,reform or correctional schools, workhouses, jails, penitentiaries, etc.,supported at public expense, to be vaccinated, upon admission to the severalestablishments, unless satisfactory evidence is furnished to a competentinspecting physician that the parties are fully protected by previous vaccination."5The third day of the meeting came to a close. One of the last actionstaken was the passage of a resolution "that the members of the IllinoisState Medical Society at the adjournment of the 25th annual session, desiresto express tothe members of the medical profession, and the citizens ofJacksonville their high appreciation of the courtesies and general hospitalities,that they have met upon their arrival in this city. . .1876— UrbanaThe Society met in Urbana on May 16, 17 and 18, 1876, and listened toan address of welcome from Dr.University.Milton Gregory, President of the StateDr. Sarah H. Stevenson was a delegate from the Chicago Medical Society.That was unusual enough, but Illinois sent her as a delegate to the meetingof the American Medical Association in Philadelphia that year. And shewent, and became the first woman member of the House of Delegates ofthe American Medical Association. When her name was called in the rollcall, Dr. William Brodie of Michigan moved that the names of all femaledelegates be referred to the Judicial Council. The motion was laid on thetable. Dr. J.Marion Sims, in his Presidential Address, recalled the meetingin 1872 when so much time was wasted in discussing the Negro and womanphysician questions. He asserted that "the Association was a truly rep-6For a detailed discussion of smallpox, vaccination, epidemics, etc., see I. D. Rawlings,The Rise and Fall of Disease in Illinois. 1927. The State Department of PublicHealth—Editor."