Address : delivered before the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania at its fifteenth annual session, held in Philadelphia, June 1864 / by Wilson Jewell.

  • Jewell, Wilson, 1800-1867.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Address : delivered before the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania at its fifteenth annual session, held in Philadelphia, June 1864 / by Wilson Jewell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Dr. Redman continued to fill the chair until his death, which took place on the 19th of March, 1806, in his eighty-sixth year. The time when he was elected is not upon record; but the inference is con- clusive that there had been one, if not more preliminary meetings to the one named, because at that meeting the President read quite a lengthy address, in which he alluded to the proceedings of a former meeting. This address, in which Dr. Redman returned thanks for the honor conferred upon him, and expressed the high sense he had of the im- portance of the institution and its future eminence if rightly conducted, is distinguished for its marked simplicity, sincerity, and singular mo- desty, as well as for the humility with which he regarded his election, more owing, as he says, to the generous benevolence of their own minds, as a mark of respect to his age and longer standing in the pro- fession, and of their approval of his general conduct in life, and regu- larity in the practice of his art, than to any peculiar merit. There is, however, a specialty in this opening address that forbids my passing it by without a particular notice; sentiments evincing the Christian physician; characterizing the boldness of the faith of its author, and furnishing conclusive evidence, even in his public ministra- tions, that, like Hoffman and Stahl of a former century, he was not ashamed of the Gospel he professed; while it casts a severe and well merited rebuke upon the reproach of infidelity in our profession, vindi- cates the truth as it is in Jesus, and is worthy of a far more public notoriety than it has ever received. At the conclusion of his address, Dr. Redman observed, that after he had written it, his mind run into a more serious turn of thought, re- lating to the substantial good of the institution, and while he feared the manner in which his remarks would be expressed might not bear every kind of criticism, yet, he continued, I trust the matter of them will give offence to none, but be approved by all, especially as the prin- ciples inculcated are those of one of the wisest of men, king Solomon, who says, 'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.' He then proceeds to remind them of their obligations to the Almighty for every good they have or do enjoy, as well as their dependence upon him for any good they still hope for or expect in the prosecution of affairs, public or private, and for his protection, direction, and suc- cess therein ; not forgetting to impress upon their minds that the Scriptures of truth declare, that by the God of Heaven kings reign and princes decree justice; and that, except the Lord build the