PREFACE. The author is afforded this medium through which to reach the public; but the Society, in directing a publication, must not be understood as indorsing the views or opinions expressed in it. THE TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MICHIGAN STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY, HELD AT Port Huron, June 10 and 11, 1885. First Day Morning Session. Donald Maclean, M. D., President in the chair. The meeting was called to order by the President, at 10 a. m., and prayer was made by the Rev. A. H. Ross. Gen. Wm. Hartsuff then delivered the following address of welcome: GENTLEMEN OF THE STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY: In the absence of our Mayor, at the last moment I have been pressed into service for the purpose of expressing to you the sincere and hearty welcome of our people on your visit to our beautiful city. It has been said that trouble, misery, and doctors make their visits together, but in this case we are glad to know that this saying is not true, for while we have an abundance of visiting doctors trouble and misery do not accompany them. It has also been said that gentlemen of your profession are most welcome where your services are least needed. If this proposition is true, then Port Huron should extend to you a more hearty welcome than any other community of equal size in Michigan, for certainly there is no other community where your services are less needed. We do not expect to derive any physical bene fits from your visit among us, but we sincerely hope that by breathing the fresh and invigorating air from off the pure waters of our beautiful lake and river, even for the short time you stay among us, you yourselves may be somewhat relieved from the ills you have contracted in less favored communities. We feel highly honored by the presence of so distinguished and useful a body of men as are here assembled. We believe that theoretically our own physicians are equally as good as those of any other community, and would be practically as good if they had an equal opportunity with others to make their experiments, but the extreme healthfulness of this region renders the physicians here almost ornamental. Beauty and usefulness are, however, seldom combined in the same person, and this may account for the highly ornamental character of our physicians. Sympathy for the afflicted of the less favored sections of our State makes us earnestly desire that while you sit in council on the banks of our beautiful river you may be able to devise better means to relieve suffering humanity on your return to your respective homes. Again we tender you a hearty and sincere welcome, and promise to do all we can to make your visit among us pleasant, agreeable, and profitable. Calling the roll and reading the minutes were, on motion, dispensed with. The President said he saw in the audience two distinguished visitors and conferres, Drs. Hingston, of Montreal, and Octerlony, of Louisville, and requested them to take seats on the platform. Dr. H. R. Mills, of Port Huron, then presented the report of the Executive Committee, which, on motion, was accepted. The following invitations were extended to the society through the said committee, viz.: "The St. Clair Mineral Springs Company through the manager, Dr. Blanchard, extends the hospitalities of the Oakland House, to the members and friends of the Society, from 6 to 10 p. m., on Thursday, June 11. "The Port Huron Academy of Medicine tenders the free use of the City Opera House during the sessions of the Society, and at the close of work on the afternoon of the second day, June 11, invites the members and friends to an excursion on the Steamer Omar D. Conger, to the Oakland House at St. Clair." Dr. Johnson said that he was ready to report for the Committee on Re-organization of the Society, of which he was chair man. Dr. Hemenway moved that the report be postponed. Carried. |