335 



especially abundant in the practice of medicine, and are among the 

 strongest supports of all kinds of quackery. I will adduce a single 

 example. Scarlet fever may be a very mild and harmless, or a ter- 

 ribly malignant disease. It often happens, without any discoverable 

 direct cause, that the milder cases cluster ; great numbers occurring 

 successively or simultaneously under the notice of a particular prac- 

 titioner, perhaps without the presence of a single dangerous case 

 among them. No matter what may be the remedy employed, 

 whether good or good for nothing, they all terminate favorably. 

 They would do so, if left entirely to themselves. Suppose, under 

 these circumstances, the practitioner be an ignorant quack ; he will 

 obviously get the credit with the community, ignorant of the princi- 

 ple to which we are now referring, of possessing remarkable skill in 

 the treatment of scarlet fever ; and he himself, if equally ignorant, 

 will acquire great confidence in the remedy he may have employed. 

 The evil is that, in consequence of this confidence, born of an error 

 in practical philosophy, the quack and his remedy are subsequently 

 relied on in cases of a dangerous character, and requiring great skill; 

 and it is easy to understand how much mischief may ensue. 



A glance at the subject I have thus introduced to the notice of 

 the Society, is sufficient to show its great extent and importance. 

 A volume might easily be filled with illustration and commentary. 

 But I content myself with the slight sketch given, fearing that even 

 this may have been tedious to those, quite as conversant as myself 

 with the matters referred to. 



2. It remains, in order to fulfil my whole duty on this occasion, 

 that I should make such suggestions as occur to me, with regard to 

 the affairs of the Society. 



Under this head I have little to say. In looking over the Trans- 

 actions of the past year, and comparing them with those of preced- 

 ing years, I find good reason for encouragement. Should an equal 

 advance be maintained in the future, it will not be long before the 

 Society will be able to boast, that it is doing all that can be reason- 

 ably expected of it. In the Proceedings, too, it has by no means 

 been idle. The laws have been revised, modified, and newly 

 printed ; some effete regulations having been abolished, and new 

 ones introduced, which it is hoped may work advantageously for the 

 interests of science. Complete catalogues of members, with informa- 

 tion as to the period of election and decease, residence, &c., have 

 been prepared, and printed in a style conformable with that of the 

 laws and regulations. 



