E. P. Becton, M. D., Sulphur Springs, Texas. tinguished themselves in the profession. I therefore pass, with reverential homage, the long list of worthies who have done so much for science and for humanity; who, indeed, More than half a century ago, Sidney Smith impertinently asked: "What does the world owe to American. physicians or surgeons? What new substances have. their chemists discovered, or what old ones have they analyzed?" To the Sidney Smiths of to-day, we say that the world owes more to American physicians and surgeons than to the physicians and surgeons of any other country; and that our chemists have discovered many new substances and analyzed many old ones. We are not dealing in hyperbole, but stating facts, as the sequel will show. In speaking of what American physicians and surgeons have done, I will mention only those things they did before the physicians and surgeons of any other country had done them; things for which, in the language of Sidney Smith, "the world owes them." Hence I pass the names of Rush, Physic, Warren, Jackson, Chapman, and a host of others, eminent for their learning in the profession, and come at once to the name of William Gibson, who was the first to tie the common iliac artery; Roger, of New York, the first APPENDIX-Annual Address of the President. to tie the common carotid; Mott, the first to tie the arteria innominata; Post, the first to successfully tie the subclavian, for the cure of aneurism, after Sir Astley Cooper and Abernethy had failed; John Rhea Barton was the originator of a most valuable operation for the relief of anchylosis; Knight was the first to successfully apply digital compression for the cure of aneurism; metallic and animal ligatures were first employed by American physicians and surgeons; Dugas, of Georgia, was the discoverer of that valuable diagnostic sign in dislocation of the shoulder joint; Deadrick, of Tennessee, was the first to excise the lower jaw; Jameson, of Baltimore, the first to excise the upper jaw; Nott, of Mobile, the first to operate for coccygeal neuralgia; in the treatment of fractures, dislocations and diseases of the joints, "the world owes" much, very much, to American physicians and surgeons. The American literature upon these subjects is inexhaustible. And, last and best of all, Crawford W. Long, of Georgia, was the discoverer of anææsthesia. In Gynecology, the world can never cancel the debt it owes American physicians and surgeons. Time would fail us to enumerate their splendid achievements in this department, nor can we do so before a mixed audience. I, however, would do injustice to history and to humanity did I not mention at least two operations. When poor woman was the unfortunate sufferer from an ovarian tumor, she was doomed to drag out a miserable existence, without one ray of hope, until 1809, when Ephraim McDowell, in Danville, Kentucky, E. P. Becton, M. D., Sulphur Springs, Texas. upon the person of Mrs. Crawford, performed the first ovariotomy. This heroic woman was forty-nine years old when the operation was performed. She lived to the good old age of seventy-nine, Since the day of McDowell, the lives of hundreds of women have been saved by this operation, and for this the world is indebted to an American physician and surgeon. There is another operation, followed by brilliant results, performed first by an American physician and surgeon, and, for some years, by him only. The history of this man's life and labors reads like a novel. The difficulties he overcame in perfecting this operation appear insurmountable. He was no ordinary man. Until his day, the poor unfortunate mother was without any hope of relief from her loathsome injury; she was obliged to live on in pain, unfit for society, a tax upon her friends and a burden to herself. The operation devised and perfected by him now brings complete relief, restores the woman to health, happiness and to society. It is now practiced throughout the enlightened world, and its originator is everywhere regarded as woman's greatest benefactor. His name will be loved and honored wherever woman suffers and man sympathizes. Let every woman throughout the world thank God for the life and labors of J. MARION SIMS. Our Chemists-Have they done nothing for which mankind should be grateful? Who discovered chloroform? Samuel Gutherie, of Sackett's Harbor, New York. It has been truthfully said that we appreciate APPENDIX-Annual Address of the President. blessings only when deprived of them. What would be our condition to-day, if we knew nothing of anæsthetics? A capital operation is to be performed upon that faithful wife, the mother of your children; the woman who, for years, has shared with you the joys and sorrows of life; the woman who, when the foul tongue of slander is mercilessly endeavoring to blacken your character and blast your reputation, is ever ready to "chase the world's ungenerous scorn away," and to renew her vows of undying love and devotion; the woman in whom centers the warmest, purest love of your manly heart; around whom clusters all your hopes of earthly happiness; the woman who is all the world to you, and for whom you are ready to die. See the keen and polished blade as it parts the quivering flesh! See those pale lips as she compresses them in the fruitless endeavor to suppress the deep moan as it wells up from her heaving bosom ! Catch that emaciated, trembling hand as she convulsively clutches yours in the vain hope of finding some relief from her inexpressible agony! See those once lustrous eyes growing dim, as she, for the last time, fixes them upon you so sorrowfully, so pitifully, so imploringly! Unable longer to bear the terrible shock, she swoons and dies. Then tell me whether or not the world owes anything to the American chemists for discovering chloroform, and to American physicians and surgeons for introducing this and other agents into surgical practice, that render such operations perfectly painless, and, for the most part, harmless. E. P. Becton, M. D., Sulphur Springs, Texas. I have not time to dwell on this portion of the subject, nor to refer to the many ponderous tomes and splendid monographs written by American physicians and surgeons and chemists; books that are standard wherever medicine is taught. The half has not been told. Enough, however, has been said to answer the Sidney Smiths of the day, and to assure us that the past, at least, is secure. Notwithstanding the fact that American physicians. and surgeons and chemists have done so much for science and for humanity, yet, while striving to wrest from nature still hidden truths, and to bless mankind still more with the healing art, they must battle with the prejudice, distrust and factious opposition of ignorant men and designing demagogues. Not long since, a few misguided fanatics, with more zeal than brains, petitioned the Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania to pass a law inhibiting vivisection. The poor zealots did not know if they did, they shut their eyes to the fact— that we are indebted to vivisection for many useful, practical facts that have enabled us to mitigate much suffering and save many lives. Be it said to the credit of the lawmakers of Pennsylvania that, within that body, there could be found none so ignorant as to do the petition reverence, and it was sent into that oblivion it so richly deserved. A few years ago, the President of the United States. received a wound, which, sooner or later, must prove fatal. His physicians did for him all that mortal man |