196 
ADDRESS OF DR. C. B. ORVIS. 
unanimously elected, I feel gratified at such an expression of es¬ 
teem and confidence. I know you have not given me this posi¬ 
tion for any special service I have done, or for any special pro¬ 
fessional ability. I consider it, therefore, a mark of favor or 
respect for the common practitioner who has tried to do his 
duty in his district, both to his patrons and his profession, to 
the best of his ability. 
It was with considerable diffidence that I allowed my name 
to be used for this important position, and knowing, as I do, the 
capacity of the man whom I am to succeed, and the great 
amount of work accomplished and more begun but uncom¬ 
pleted that we have to finish if we continue to prosper, makes 
me feel inadequate to the task. 
To the secretary, the greater part of the burden of an asso¬ 
ciation falls, and I am thankful to know that Dr. Archibald, 
who has served the association so faithfully in the past, will 
continue the same zeal in the future, and as for myself, I prom¬ 
ise you every effort of which I am capable for the welfare of 
the association. Our efforts, however, will be of no avail un¬ 
less we have your hearty co-operation ; but I feel sure it will 
be accorded us, and I therefore enter upon the duties with much 
confidence in the prosperity of our society for the present year. 
1 he value of these meetings are hard to estimate. We meet 
here together on a level—exchange ideas, relate experiences, 
report cases, etc., etc.; then we go home refreshed. If on go¬ 
ing home one cannot see where he has been slack or negligent 
in one way or another ; if he does not feel like referring to his 
text-books, case-books, etc., and brush the dust off his desk 
and shelves, and it he is not quicker to notice dirt in the hospi¬ 
tal, or an untidy box, and if he does not take a little extra 
pains to dust his clothes and black his boots, he has not re¬ 
ceived the same amount of enthusiasm that I have received. 
These are personal advantages, and our programme should be 
so arranged as to arouse this feeling and to educate each mem¬ 
ber in the different branches of our calling, and in this wav we 
are best able to keep informed as to the use and application of 
