REPORT OF THE SECTION ON METEOROLOGY, MEDICAL TOPOGRAPHY, AND EPIDEMIC DISEASES. TUESDAY, May 5, 1868. THE Section met in the basement-room of Carroll Hall, and was called to order by the President, Dr. B. N. CATLIN, of Connecticut. The Secretary, Dr. N. S. DAVIS, of Illinois, read the minutes of the meetings of the Section at the previous annual meeting. On motion the present officers were re-elected as President and Secretary for the ensuing year. The Secretary read a letter from Dr. R. C. HAMILL, member of the Committee on Climatology and Epidemics, for Illinois, asking for a longer time to complete his report. On motion, his request was granted. Dr. E. A. HILDRETH, of West Virginia, member of the Committee on Climatology and Epidemics, read in full his report. It elicited an interesting discussion, which was participated in by Drs. E. HARRIS, of New York; T. ANTISELL, of District of Columbia; J. F. HIBBARD, of Indiana; EZRA M. HUNT, of New Jersey; after which the report was referred to the Committee of Publication. Dr. THOS. ANTISELL, member of the Committee on Climatology, etc., for the District of Columbia, read his report in full. On motion of Dr. HARRIS, of New York, Dr. ANTISELL was requested to add to his report an analysis of the water used in the city of Washington. A discussion followed, participated in by Drs. D. W. PRENTICE, E. HARRIS, of New York; J. F. HIBBERD, of Indiana; F. HOOPER, of Massachusetts; and ANTISELL, of District of Columbia; after which the report of Dr. ANTISELL was referred to the Committee of Publication. The Section then adjourned until 3 o'clock P. M. on Wednesday. WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1868. The Section was called to order by the Chairman, and the Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting. A short paper, in reference to the advantages of Aiken, S. C., as a resort for consumptives, was read by the Secretary, and, on motion, referred back to its author, with a recommendation that he cause it to be published in some one of the medical periodicals. Dr. N. S. DAVIS, of Illinois, read a paper on the influence of local causes over the prevalence of epidemic cholera and other bowel affections, with some microscopic examinations of the cholera dejections. It was followed by a very interesting discussion, in which Drs. OHR, of Maryland; ANTISELL, of District of Columbia; HARRIS, of New York; C. A. LEE, of New York; HOOPER, of Massachusetts; R. R. MCILVAINE, of Ohio; and HUNT, of New Jersey, participated. Dr. OHR moved that the paper read by Dr. DAVIS be referred to the Committee of Publication; but, on the special request of Dr. DAVIS, the motion was so modified as to authorize him to publish the paper in some medical periodical. He was requested to continue his investigations. The report of Dr. T. J. HEARD, on the Climatology and Epidemics of Texas, was examined and presented to the Section by the Secretary, and, on motion, referred to the Committee of Publication. The report of Dr. D. F. CONDIE, on the Prevalent Diseases in Pennsylvania, was presented in the same manner by the Secretary, and, on motion of Dr. C. A. LEE, was referred to the Committee of Publication. Dr. N. L. NORTH, of New York, presented and read a short paper On the Use of Disinfectants, for the Prevention of Scarlet Fever. The subject was discussed by Drs. GARRISH, of New York; HOOPER, of Conn.; and NORTH, of New York; after which the paper was referred to its author, with the request that he would cause its publication in some widely circulated medical periodical. On motion, the Section adjourned. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1868. The Section was called to order by the President Dr. CATLIN; and the Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting. Dr. LEE introduced to the Section Dr. J. C. PETERS, of New York, who gave an interesting account of the lines followed by cholera in spreading from India to other countries, illustrated with maps. On motion, Dr. PETERS was requested to furnish a copy of his remarks, accompanied by a map or diagram, for publication in the Transactions of the Association. Dr. E. HARRIS, of New York, presented a brief plan for procuring more brevity and uniformity of reports on Climatology and Epidemics, which the Secretary of the Section was requested to print and distribute to the members of the Committee on Climatology, etc. Dr. W. F. THOMS, of New York, read his paper on plans for systematizing the records of meteorological observations and prevalence of diseases, accompanied by diagrams. On motion, the paper of Dr. THOмS was referred to the Committee of Publication. The Section recommended Dr. H. I. BoWDITCH, of Mass., as a member of the Committee on Climatology and Epidemics for Massachusetts, in place of Dr. A. C. GARRATT, resigned. The Section appointed Dr. ELISHA HARRIS, of New York, a Special Committee to report at the next annual meeting of the Association, On the Influence of Quarantine in preventing the Introduction of Diseases into the ports of the United States. The Section having completed its business, adjourned until the next annual meeting of the Association. N. S. DAVIS, M. D., Secretary of Section. |