the act of 1830; and appointed a committee to circulate memorials for that object.

In 1837, the society adopted a regulation requiring the physician employed at the county poor house to make an annual report of his cases of practice; that the library committee should make an investigation into the state of the society's library, count the number of books on hand, and compare the treasurer's reports, and the augmentation of the library for the preceding five years. Also, that each member of the society be requested to keep a record of all the deaths which might occur in his practice, the age of the patient, the diseases of which they died, and how far said deaths were caused by intemperate habits of life, and report thereon to the society. This was a very important regulation, easily carried into effect by the members of the profession, and if strictly attended to, would afford useful and important information. We must abandon all hope, for the present, at least, of obtaining accurate information by the agency of state regulations, in respect to the statistics of births, marriages and deaths. The medical profession could well supply the number of births and deaths, and without much trouble and no expense. Annual abstracts of these would present actual results within a small portion, and would entitle that profession to the gratitude of the country. We must now resort to tables compiled in foreign countries, upon a far distant continent, if we desire to ascertain the probable duration of human life, or calculate the value of an annuity. These are the best data we have. They approximate to the truth, or they are supposed to do so, or they would not be used. We should, however, long since have laid the foundation for results, applicable to our own climate, population and condition of society, which would no doubt have been more accurate and satisfactory.

Doct. Harvey W. Doolittle was chosen president of the society in June, 1837, was succeeded by Dr. Calvin W. Smith for one year in June, 1838, and was again chosen in

1839, and held the office by annual election until June, 1842.

In January, 1839, the society adopted the following:

"Whereas, by the dispensation of Divine Providence, since our last meeting, this society has been deprived of one of its most valuable members, and community one of its brightest ornaments, in the death of Doct. John Holmes:

Resolved, That the members of this society will wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days, as a testimony of their high respect for their deceased friend; and that the secretary be a committee to present the condolence of this society to the relations of the deceased."

At the semi-annual meeting in January, 1840, the society adopted a like resolution on the announcement of the death of Dr. Calvin W. Smith, and appointed a committee to write a biographical sketch of the lives of Drs. Smith and Holmes.

The professors of the Medical college at Fairfield, having resigned, and the trustees of that institution having failed to procure the appointment of others to continue the lectures, the society, in 1843, took effectual measures to reclaim, secure and preserve the society library, which had been deposited in the college under the care of the trustees and professors of that institution, as before noticed.

In June, 1842, Doct. Lester Green was elected president of the society, and a resolution was adopted, pledging the influence of the members to forward any feasible plan for resuscitating the Medical college at Fairfield, and tendering the use of the society's library to the trustees of the college when the professorships should be filled and the lectures resumed.

At the annual meeting in 1843, Doct. Green was reelected president. The whole number of volumes on the catalogue of the society's library was 590, of which 473 were brought from Fairfield, 54 were charged to members and 63 were lost or missing. The society adopted a set of by-laws, regulating the safe keeping and use of the library. Doct. Alfred E. Varney was chosen president at the annual meeting

in 1844, and the delegate to the state society was requested to lay before that body the opinion entertained by this society, "that it was the duty of the medical faculty generally, to memorialize the legislature of this state to procure the passage of a law to prohibit the sale or use of any secret compound as a medicine," and to ask the state society to adopt measures to lay this subject before the legislature at the next session. These proceedings were rescinded at a subsequent meeting. Some doubts having been entertained, growing out of the legislation of the state in respect to medical societies, in regard to the legal existence of the society, a resolution was adopted in January, 1845, to continue the association as an organized body, and the unanimous opinion of the society to that effect, was declared.

The republican principle of rotation in office, even without emolument, seems to have obtained some footing in the society, and Dr. Abram Snyder was chosen president in June, 1845. A resolution was passed to raise a committee to present the condolence of the society to the family of Doct. Westel Willoughby, deceased, and request a.biography of his life, and also that the society would wear the usual badge of mourning.

At the annual meeting in 1846. Doct. Caleb Budlong was elected president; Dr. Walter Booth in 1848, and Dr. Abram Snyder again in 1849. Drs. J. R. Brown, Wheeler, Griffith and Snyder delegates to the National medical association. Drs. Brown and Wheeler were appointed a committee to prepare and present to the society a biographical sketch of the life of Dr. Lester Green. The transactions of the society at its annual meeting in June, 1847, do not appear to have been recorded, nor is the death of Dr. Lester Green noticed except as above mentioned.

Dr. Harvey W. Doolittle was elected president of the society in 1850 and 1851. Drs. Booth, Brown, A. F. Doolittle and D. Belknap were appointed delegates to the National medical association in 1850. In June, 1852, Dr. A. Green was chosen president, and Drs. A. F. Doolittle, C. A. Griffith, A. Hawn

and W. Booth, appointed delegates to the National medical association. The proceedings of the society this year were important and interesting, but they are such that I shall not venture to publish them so long as the society hold them under the injunction of secresy.

The society, at its annual meeting in June, 1853, elected Dr. Walter Booth president, and appointed Drs. Budlong, Griffith, Hawn and Parkhurst delegates to the National medical association.

The proceedings of the semi-annual meeting of the society in January, 1852, are deeply, nay more, solemnly interesting. Although crowded for space, I shall let those who know the man better than I did, pronounce his eulogy on these pages. Dr. C. A. Griffith presented the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:

"Whereas, It has pleased the Allwise Disposer of events to remove from this life our late friend and brother, Harvey W. Doolittle, one of the oldest, most eminent and highly respected physicians of this county, and who was for many years president of this society; Be it therefore,

Resolved, That we deeply deplore the loss sustained by his bereaved family, by the medical society, of which he was long an active member, and by the public at large, in the death of that excellent man and physician, Dr. Harvey W. Doolittle, whose professional attainments, not less than his own personal qualities, contributed to render him a most useful and estimable member of the community:

That we know and cherish his qualities as a man and a citizen; that we admire his sound judgment, his scientific knowledge and philanthropic spirit, which gave him a desirable eminence in his profession :

That we loved and lament him as a friend, and we doubt not his translation to a higher and happier sphere, where the pains and cares of this transient life give place to unbroken rest and unspeakable felicity.

Resolved, That as a mark of respect for the talents and

virtues of our departed brother, the members of this society will wear crape on the left arm for the space of thirty days.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent by the secretary to the family of the deceased, and that copies be also furnished to the editors of the several newspapers in the county, with a request to publish the same.”

A committee was appointed to prepare a biographical sketch of Dr. Doolittle's life.

Dr. W. H. Parkhurst was chosen president of the society in 1854, and Drs. Doolittle, Booth, Parkhurst and Griffiths, delegates to the National medical association. At the annual meeting in June, 1855, the following officers were chosen : Drs. Abm. Hawn, president; I. E. Casey, vice-president; C. A. Griffith, secretary; A. Green, treasurer; A. F. Doolittle, W. H. H. Parkhurst, F. B. Ethridge, A. Miller and S. Smith, censors; delegates to the national medical association, Drs. J. R. Brown, A. Hawn, I. E. Casey, and C. A. Griffith. The president of the society, Dr. Parkhurst, read the annual address. Biographical sketches of the lives of Drs. Doolittle, Snyder, Belknap and Sherwood were presented and deposited in the archives of the society. My abstracts must close for want of material. I do not find any record of the proceedings of the semi-annual meeting in January, 1855, in the manuscript document from which the preceding notes were compiled. I would have been pleased to have given a more extended and particular account of the doings of a body of professional gentlemen, in which the community at large have so great an interest, and upon whose professional progress so much depends to sooth and alleviate "the ills that flesh is heir to," but my chapter is fast growing to a volume.

It must suffice to say, that this society held its regular meetings for nearly fifty years, elected all its officers, secretary, treasurer, delegates to the State medical society and censors, on whom it enjoined the most rigid and careful attention in examining students for admission to practice.