Transactions - 1882 Author:Illinois State Medical Society Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. Robert Boal, M. D., Peobia. Ladies And Gentlemen—Members Of The Illinois State Medical Society: During a professional... more » life of over half a century I have occupied no position which has afforded me greater pleasure than the one with which you have honored me to-day. To preside over an association embracing so large a share of the ability, reputation, and intelligence of the medical profession of the state is at all times an honor to be highly prized. But to me it has an added value from having witnessed its birth and watched its struggles through infancy and youth up to manhood. A generation of human life has almost passed away since a few earnest and active members of the profession—twelve (12) in number—in the library room of the old capitol in Springfield, organized our present association, the Illinois State Medical Society. From this small beginning it has grown to its present proportions, and the twelve has been multiplied into hundreds of active and intelligent members. To one who has lived through, and witnessed it, the marvelous progress that has been made during the past fifty years in population, wealth, in science and the arts, in liberty, law and human rights, in a degree never before known in history, is a subject of unceasing interest and admiration. I trust I may be pardoned, therefore, if I depart from the custom of addressing you upon subjects usually selected for such occasions, and for the short time I occupy your attention contrast the past with the present, the then and now. It is oftentimeswell to look back at the past, to pause in the race of human life and measure the path over which we have trod; for the experience of the past, with its joys and griefs, its successes and failures, if wisely used, may teac...« less