Celsus, Cardan, Matthew Paris, and Burton, mention similar facts, and enumerate a variety of diseases, from the mildest to the most malignant, that have been induced by volition alone. "The exercise of the understanding, and various amusements, have cured headache, delirium, mania, and other mental and corporeal maladies. Dr. Ash was cured of mania by studying mathematics; Cowper, by translating Homer; and a lady by playing at cards. "The irregular operation of the passions produces the following morbid effects: "1st. Fear causes tremors, quick pulse, hurried respiration, hysteria, diarrhoea, aphonia, fever, convulsions, syncope, mania asphyxia, and death. In some instances recorded by Cheyne, Burton and Brooks, it has produced small pox and plague without any exposure to those diseases. "2d. Grief, when acute, produces sound sleep, syncope, insensibility, asphyxia, apoplexy and death. When chronic, it causes fever, dyspepsia, hypochondriasis and loss of memory. "3d. Anger produces convulsions, hysteria, epistaxis, tremors, quick respiration, vomiting, syucope, asphyxia, apoplexy, and death. "4th. Joy causes pain in the heart, thirst, tears, syncope, and death. "5th. Envy has no remission, and produces slow fevers and a long train of nervous diseases. "6th. Love causes dyspepsia, hysteria, hypochondriasis, fever, madness and death. "7th. Avarice. This passion is daily exemplified in a variety of sporadic cases; but at certain periods becomes epidemic, imparting its baleful effects to the whole community. Its operation is manifested according to the frowns or smiles of fortune. The former produces depression of spirits, dyspepsia, melancholy, hypochondriasis, apoplexy and death; and is strongly illustrated in the present embarrassed state of the civilized world, The nature of the cases which are rapidly accumulating in our lunatic asylums, and the unprecedented increase of apoplexies and suicides, are melancholy proofs of this fact." FIFTEENTH MEETING, ALBANY, FEBRUARY, 1821. 1. Officers, members and delegates present.-The President and Vice President of the society being absent, Dr. Peter C. Adams, from the county of Greene, was unanimously chosen President, pro tem. Charles D. Townsend, Secretary, Albany; John Downs, Treasurer, Rensselaer; William Bay, Albany, Peter Wendell, Albany, Abraham Allen, Washington, Henry Mitchill, Chenango, Henry Van Hovenburgh, Ulster, Benjamin J. Mooers, Clinton, James R. Manley New York, John D. Jaques, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, Robert C. Hunter, Orange. The following gentlemen produced their certificates as delegates from their respective county societies and corporate bodies, and took their seats accordingly, viz: Diodorus Halcomb, Essex; Jno. H. Steel, Saratoga; Gamaliel H. Barstow, Tioga; Nathan S. Willard, Herkimer; T. Romeyr Beck, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Western District; Sylvester Miller, Lewis; Laurens Hull, Oneida; Thomas Fuller, Otsego; Robert McChestney, St. Law rence. 2. Duty of Censors, and Report.-Resolved, That the Censors of this society be directed, from and after the first day of May next, to proceed, in no case, to the examination of any student, who states that he has attended a full course of lectures, unless he shall exhibit in proof of said attendance, a certificate from either of the registers of the colleges in this State, stating said fact, and also that the certificate be authenticated by the seal of either of the respective colleges. On motion, Resolved, That the above be adopted. Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the registers of the respective colleges, and also to each of the censors who may be elected at the present anniversary meeting. Resolved, That it be recommended to the respective county societies to adopt a course similar to the one now adopted by this society. The censors of the Southern District have the honor to report that in conformity to the statute directing them to grant license for the practice of physic and surgery, to candidates duly examined and qualified, they have, during this year, admitted the following gentlemen. The censors of the Middle District report, that they have adopted a regular system for examining all candidates presenting themselves for medical honors. That they have heard with regret that censors, after convening for the purpose of examining students, had no plan by which to proceed, and were equally prepared to examine in all the branches of medical science. The censors of this district being well aware of the advantages arising from each individual censor examining in a particular branch, would earnestly recommend a similar plan to be adopted by the censors in the other districts. The censors of the Middle District have made the following arrangement, viz. : William Bay, Examiner in Anatomy and Surgery. T. Romeyn Beck, on Materia Medica and Chemistry. Peter Wendell, on the Theory and Practice of Medicine and Midwifery. The censors have examined the following candidates and admitted them to the honors of the society, viz. : Gilbert Reynolds, county of Greene. Peter Van Olinda, county of Montgomery. Samuel Humphrey, county of Albany. 3. Election of officers for 1822.-Drs. Samuel Mitchill, of New York, President; Peter C. Adams, of Greene, Vice-President; Charles D. Townsend, of Albany, Secretary; John Downs, of Rensselaer, Treasurer; Felix Pascalis, James R. Manley, Charles Drake, Wm. Bay, T. Romeyn Beck, Peter Wendell, John Downs, John H. Steel, Abraham Allen, Amos G. Hull, Hezekiah L. Granger, Laurens Hull, Censors; Henry Mitchell, Abraham Allen, Felix Pascalis, Westel Willoughby, T. Romeyn Beck, Erastus D. Tuttle, James Downs, Committee of Correspondence. ["The Anniversary Address," on the "Functions and Diseases of the Liver," by the President, Dr. Stearns, is not calculated to analyze or extract from, and our limits do not permit us to publish it entire.-EDS.] SIXTEENTH MEETING, ALBANY, FEBRUARY, 1822. 1. Officers, members and delegates present.—The President of the society being absent, the Vice-President took the chair. Drs. Peter C. Adams, Vice-President; Charles D. Townsend, Secretary; John Downs, Treasurer. William Bay, Albany; Thomas Fuller, Otsego; John H. Steel, Saratoga; Erastus D. Tuttle, Cayuga; James Downs, Dutchess; Laurens Hull, Oneida; Amos G. Hull, Oneida; Gamaliel H. Barstow, Tioga; Henry Van Hovenburgh, Ulster; James R. Manley, New York; Samuel Voorhees, Montgomery; Diodorus Halcombe, Essex; Peter Wendell, Albany; T. Romeyn Beck, Albany; Abraham Allen, Washington. The following gentlemen produced their certificates as delegates from their respective county societies, and took their seats accordingly, viz: Charles H. Havens, Suffolk; Perez Pachen, Chenango; Reuben Goodall, Jefferson; Robert McChesney, St. Law rence; Henry L. Van Dyck, Columbia; Egbert Jansen, Orange; Stephen Todd, Herkimer; Truman B. Hicks, Warren; Abraham B. Spoore, Greene; Jonathan Eights, Albany; Cornelius H. Van Dyck, Schoharie. 2. Powers, &c., of County Medical Societies.-The committee to whom was referred the communication from G. C. Verplanck, chairman of the committee of academies, colleges, and common. schools, with its accompanying memorial, respectfully report : That they have had the same under consideration, and are fully aware of the difficulties attendieg the provisions of the act of April, 1818. It appears by the last section of that act, that all medical practitioners in this State are required to connect themselves with the medical societies of the respective counties in which they severally reside, in order, no doubt, that they may become subject to the wholesome discipline which said societies are authorized to enforce; but it is equally certain that said act contains no penal provision for non-compliance with its requisitions. They therefore recommend that the law be so amended, as that some penal sanction in the form of a fine of $10 per annum, during the time they shall continue to refuse, be added, in order to enforce compliance with its requisitions. They moreover respectfully suggest that the Honorable the Legislature be informed, that although the several incorporated medical societies possess the power by law to grant licenses to practice physic and surgery, they possess no effective control over the members of the profession, and cannot therefore prevent abuses which may be practiced by them; they therefore recommend that the law be so amended that the several county medical societies be empowered by law to suspend from the exercise of the profession any persons notoriously known to be guilty of dishonest conduct, habitual malpractice, or habitual intoxication, or charged with infamous offences, in order that the profession may be purged of its unworthy and incompetent members; and they further recommend that in all cases of discipline, under the act thus amended, the parties feeling themselves aggrieved, may appeal from the county society's decision to the Medical Society of the State, who, for this purpose, shall have an appellate jurisdiction. Resolved, That the above report be accepted, and that a certified copy of it be made and presented to the Hon. G. C. Verplanck chairman, &c., as soon as convenient. Which was done accordingly. 3. Permanent and Honorary Members.-Drs. James R. Manley, of New York, and Alexander Coventry, of Utica, were elected Per manent members. Nathaniel Chapman, M. D., of Philadelphia, Daniel Drake, M. D., of Cincinnati, Dr. James W. Miller, of Montgomery county, and Josiah Noyes, M. D., of Hamilton College, were nominated as Honorary members. 4. Censors' Report.-The Censors of the Southern District have the honor to report, that in conformity to statute, they have admitted the following persons as candidates for their license to practice physic and surgery, who, after due examination, were respectively recommended to the President for their diplomas, viz: Samuel Curtis, of New Hampshire. James Mairs, Jr., of Galway, Saratoga county. Francis X. Teissieu, Quebec. Thomas Van Zant, New York, (now deceased.) William Rockwell, New York. The Censors of the Middle District report, that they have examined the following candidates, and recommended them for the honors of the society, viz.: Azariah Blanchard, Alfred Watkins, Richard D. Wandley. 5. Election of officers for 1823.-Drs. Samuel L. Mitchill, President; Thomas Fuller, Vice-President; Charles D. Townsend, Secretary; T. Romeyn Beck, Treasurer; Felix Pascalis, James R. Manley, Charles Drake, William Bay, T. Romeyn Beck, Peter Wendell, John H. Steel, Abraham Allen, John Downs, Amos G. Hull, Laurens Hull, Erastus D. Tuttle, Censors; Henry Mitchill, Abraham Allen, Felix Pascalis, Westel Willoughby, T. Romeyn Beck, Erastus D. Tuttle, James Downs, Committee of Correspondence. EXTRACTS, &C., FROM TWO ANNUAL ADDRESSES ON ENDEMIC FEVERS, PATENT MEDICINES, &c., DELIVERED BEFORE THE NEW YORK STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY, 1824-5. By ALEXANDER COVENTRY, M.D., President of the Society. "The subject to which I would solicit your attention, is endemic fever; and instead of endeavoring to recapitulate the opinions of others, either ancient or modern, I shall chiefly confine my remarks to my personal observations, and submit to you the inference drawn from many years' experience. "I use the term endemic, rather in contradistinction to epidemic, than as fully indicating the meaning wished to be conveyed; for I would be understood as speaking of fever originating from a |