prevention and mitigation of epidemics and endemics; the care of our children at home and at school; the care of ourselves in business and in recreation, and the promotion of the comfort and the health of our homes.

Such being the fruit, let us assiduously cultivate, guard, and cherish the tree that bears it; and so long as the Michigan State Medical Society thus honorably fulfills its mission, we will all heartily join in the prayer-esto perpetua!

By Dr. Ranney:

We have with us this evening guests from other professions than that of medicine. In behalf of the medical profession of Lansing I desire to offer as our sentiment: "The legal profession, which deals with man's proper relations to man. May it continue to make progress until such relations shall be based on and be realized in infinite justice."

Response by Hon. O. M. Barnes:

Gentlemen of the Medical Society of Michigan:

I almost feared, from the criticisms passed by some of your members on certain judicial decisions, that a lawyer in this assembly would have to encounter some prejudice. All this feeling is removed by the sentiment just offered.

I thank you for the honor shown the legal profession by your kind remembrance of it on this occasion. Although the field of labor occupied by the medical profession is different and apparently somewhat removed from that of law, these professions have many common bonds of attachment. Both require study and learning. This creates a sympathy between them. Intellectual culture is itself a great bond of union. Then, too, they are engaged in advancing a common civilization. They are merely parts of the same army carrying on the campaign for civilization in their respective modes, and the victories of each inure to the benefit of all, and over these victories all rejoice. Every triumph of medical science and skill is rejoiced at as much by us as by you.

After all, the difference between the medical and legal professions, at least, is not so great as might at first appear. We have one department, that of medical jurisprudence,-in common. In a more general sense we have affinities. There are civil laws as well as physical laws. The physician has specially to do with the physical laws, the lawyer with the civil. Or, to express it in different language, the one deals with the laws that affect man as an individual and in his relations to the physical world, while the other deals with him as a member of society and treats of his social and civil status and relations. Their respective departments are really along side of each other.

Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, the law as a science and as a profession is well worthy of the respect paid to it by you. Its members look upon it, and justly so we think,-as the noblest of human sciences. It involves the study of the very highest characteristics of our natures and the things most essential to our well-being, such as social order, justice and right. As a mental discipline and a means of quickening and invigorating the understanding, probably it is to be classed among the first, while medicine tends more to enlarge our views of nature.

Justice and security are the great ends of government. Civil liberty is one of the greatest blessings; social order is indispensable. To the attainment of all these the legal profession contributes a great part. The maxims and teachings of jurisprudence are the

productions of its members. The administration of justice is a part of their work. The judges are a part of the profession. The great charters of liberty, from Magna Charta to the declaration of emancipation of Abraham Lincoln, have been conceived and written by lawyers.

This profession exhibits a long catalogue of illustrious names, a catalogue extending back to the beginning of organized society, and containing names of men distinguished for achievements, of men renowned as lawyers, as orators, as statesmen, as judges, names dear to every lover of learning and social advancement.

Mr. Chairman, no one is to be blamed by a body so intelligent as this assemblage for feeling a strong attachment to the profession of which he is a member. We all have our love for our own calling. Indeed, he who has no special love for his profession is seldom if ever a success, and is justly accounted unworthy. In the law I can quote an authority on this point. A venerated author declares that the law is a jealous maid and will suffer a love for no other. I do not want to provoke her jealousy, but I do, however, appreciate the learning, the merit and the very great services to humanity of the learned profession in whose honor this assemblage is gathered tonight. The medical profession has done and is doing a work of vast importance to our race. We owe it a debt of gratitude we can never pay

The cultivation of the natural sciences we owe more especially to it. This is eminently true of the great department of chemistry. And to its members we are indebted for the dissemination of this knowledge and its practical application in the affairs of life. But this profession is to be honored chiefly for what it has done and is doing to prevent and cure disease and prolong life. It is not for me to dilate on this topic. The facts are numerous and apparent to all. A single thought will suffice. How many lives are annually saved by its exertions, how much suffering alleviated, how much disease prevented, how much added to the average duration of human life? Blessings from grateful hearts for lives saved come up to you from every quarter. What would our condition be without this profession? Civilized man, under the teaching of this profession, is coming to appreciate what seems to me he ought to have appreciated ages ago, that disease, like every thing else in this world, is produced by causes, and that in a multitude of cases at least these causes may be understood and thereby the diseases avoided. The uncultured are apt to look upon disease as a mysterious, special, causeless visitation of invisible powers. The existence of the rational view among us we owe to the learned profession here assembled. Indeed, we must depend on it for the dissemination of hygenic knowledge. Our own State Board of Health is doing in this respect a most important work by gathering and disseminating knowledge on sanitary subjects specially interesting to the people of this State.

In one respect these new views have been making fearful inroads upon the habits of society. Once it was fashionable in society to dilate on one's ailments. Now, since you have told us about these causes of disease and assured us so many are the products of our neglects or abuses we are ashamed to say we are sick. I for one would like to retaliate on your profession by so availing myself of this knowledge as to keep always well. Why, sir, it has come to such a pass that one can't have a little sickness all alone quietly at home without some board of health pointing its finger at some cause. We are almost robbed of the right of charging these things

to Providence. I am in favor of straightening up as far as possible and giving you as few occasions as possible for this censure.

The history of the medical profession has from the first been crowned with great achievements and adorned with illustrious names. I am proud that so many that adorn it to-day belong to our own State of Michigan. I am glad of the honor of meeting so many of them to-night, and I court a more intimate acquaintance. Our professions are kinsmen,-brothers-in-law at least. I cannot express my appreciation of yours better than by adopting the language used by the Greeks in regard to the wounded Machaon, as recorded by Homer. You will remember the incident. Among those who went to the Trojan War was the chief Machaon, the surgeon of the expedition, the son of the renowned Esculapius, father of medicine, himself a patriot and hero, as well as physician, as so many of his successors have been. In one of the hard fought battles Machaon fell desperately wounded. The Greeks were thrown into consternation,-if a Greek could feel such. With great anxiety the wounded surgeon was confided to the sage Nestor, wisest of the Greeks, who was besought to use his utmost care and best skill to preserve his life, for, said the general voice

"A wise physician skilled our wounds to heal

Is more than armies to the public weal."

And so say I to-night. The profession is a great light of civilization. May its brightness never be less, and our relations ever be amicable.

By Dr. R. J. Shank:

"The medical journals."

Response by Dr. Connor.

Dr. Connor directed attention to the fact that medical journals act as a peculiar bond of union to the medical profession. Progress in modern times is more rapid than of old, because the workers in special branches combine and work together, an advance is made along the entire line. The printing press, the steam engine, and the telegraph have rendered such harmonious working possible. Special trades and pursuits of all sorts are most successful as they utilize these means for profiting by each other's thought, invention, or discovery. Thus it has come about that special journals exist almost without limit other than the phases of special workers. Among these may be called the medical journals. If these could only gather up the real advance made by each member of the profession and transmit it to each other member, then our profession would advance in its beneficent career with a rapidity such as we have never conceived.

Too much each individual in the profession acts as a sponge to absorb from the whole body all that he can use for his immediate success, ever forgetting that "to whom much is given, from him much is required." Thus it comes to pass that more knowledge dies with each than lives after to aid the general profession. Very often in his experience with men hoary in the service had the truth of this statement met with the most abundant proof. All doubters may have their doubts removed by similar examinations. We regard it worth our while to meet here and exchange experiences, always returning to our homes refilled with hints for more successful advances in our life work.

Could we meet every week or month in the same friendly, helpful way, these benefits would be multiplied many fold. Such frequent meetings in the flesh being impossible, the medical journal steps in

and offers to take up the experiences, the observation, and the thought of each and present it to each other member of this Society. Further, it gathers up not only the contributions of the members of this Society, but those of the world's workers in every land, irrespective of language, country, or race.

With such facilities, why is it that the entire profession does not advance as one man, each receiving all that others can give and returning unreservedly all that he has. In reply we may say that we are impressed with the belief that in no true sense does the profession as a whole appreciate its privilege to take freely from the common fund and its duty to contribute to said tund every mite which each may acquire. To perform this duty aright and to avail itself of this knowledge, the profession as a whole needs a special training and the development of an individual self-sacrifice. Year by year this special training and new development is going on until it may fairly be said that our own State compares favorably with other and older States. The two existing medical journals furnish to all the greatest freedom for work in the interest of the common good. He pleaded earnestly in the name of our common profession for a new interest in our medical journals,-such as shall make each issue a genuine medical society meeting, and so render possible a simultaneous and united advance by the entire profession. By Dr. Marshall:

"What are the prerequisites of a medical education?" Response by Dr. Jerome:

MR. PRESIDENT: This sentiment shadows a territory wider by far than the limitations of this colloquial occasion. You will therefore bear with me in simmering down my response to mere propositions in order to be brief as the occasion requires me to be.

The demands of our medical colleges and universities for pupils are such as to preclude the idea of depending for a supply from the class who are moved by special inspiration to cure the sick, or even the lucky seventh son of his mother. They are therefore compelled to look to ordinary channels of supply for young men of whom to make medical doctors.

The first prerequisite, we apprehend, should relate to the physical condition of the candidate for medical honors. He should possess a sound body with no hereditary taint to jaundice the developments of a healthy mind.

2d. His preparatory literary acquirements should be equal to that of any other of the liberal professions. And while we may not, perhaps, assume to measure its precise limits, would still feel authorized to say to the candidate that he is in no danger of placing the standard too high; that his greatest peril lies in the too common morbid desire for haste in assuming the high and responsible duties of a medical advisor.

The fledgelings of the legal profession which annually swarm from our universities and other sources of supply, in their after course have gradations not altogether unlike the Methodist probation or trial state. Their first appearance is in the justice or other courts of limited jurisdiction, and at the most they only prey upon the pockets of their employers. The physician, on the other hand, may at the outset be required to confront the possibilities of life or death, the issue depending solely upon his acquired competency or skill. The candidate, therefore, may make haste slowly to profit. There are also mental prerequisites which may not be wholly overlooked. If there should be a spice of common sense in his composition of mind, it would not hurt him; or, if he should possess

what in vulgar parlance is denominated "push," it would not retard his accomplishments or interfere with his final success if properly directed; and should this peculiar quality of mind so prevail with the candidate as to excuse the widows and the orphans of our State in their sad and sorrowing destitution from the inexorable tax-gatherer for his maintenance in luxurious ease during the period of his professional pupilage, it would be well.

In order to do this, therefore, Mr. President, we do most earnestly pray for an abandonment on the part of the State of the insane policy of opening so wide a door to chronic pauperism and imbecility from which to fill the ranks of the medical profession to repletion, and the term "medical doctor" become a by-word in every community.

By Dr. Baker:

"The American Public Health Health Association, and the relation of the medical profession to public health measures."

Dr. Azel Ames, Jr., of Mass., member of the American Public Health Association, etc., was called upon to respond, and did so in a genial and vigorous manner.

The closing toast was given by Dr. Foster Pratt:

"Lansing and her physicians-we are proud of our capital city, and we admire this capital banquet given by her capital doctors." The guests then arose, and the party retired about midnight.