COLLEGE STATISTICS. Table showing the number of Graduates at Dartmouth College, each year, from 1800 to 1838, and the number from the several States where they belonged, while members of College. HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE MEDICAL SOCIETY. [Prepared at the direction of the Society by JAMES B. ABBOTT, M. D. of Loudon, and THE NEW HAMPSHIRE MEDICAL SOCIETY is one of the oldest institutions of the kind, established in this country. Soon after the American Revolution, when the happy effects of that glorious event began to be realized in the spirit of enterprise and improvement, which have so generally characterized the people of the United States, the attention of some of the principal physicians of New Hampshire was called particularly to a consideration of what could be done for the benefit of themselves and their brethren of the medical profession; also the preservation of the lives, and the promotion of the health, and consequently the happiness of their fellow-men. After correspondence and conference on this subject, it appeared to them that no better way could be adopted for the accomplishment of their object than the formation of a society for this purpose. Accordingly, a petition was preferred to the Legislature for the establishment of such an institution by law; and a charter for the same was granted, bearing date, February 11, 1791. The nature, design and objects to be secured by it, will be best expressed in the act of incorporation, which is here inserted. "As health is essentially necessary to the happiness of society; and as its preservation or recovery is closely connected with the knowledge of the animal economy, and of the properties and effect of Medicine; and as the benefit of Medical Institutions, formed on liberal principles, and encouraged by the patronage of the Law, is universally acknowledged: "§ 1. Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened, That Josiah Bartlett, Joshua Brackett, Ammi Ruhamah Cutter, Hall Jackson, Nathaniel Peabody, William Page, Moses Carr, James Brackett, John Rogers, John Jackson, Ezra Green, Ebenezer Rockwood, William Cogswell, Kendall Osgood, George Sparhawk, William Parker, Jr., Samuel Tenney, Benjamin Page, and Isaac Thom, be, and they hereby are, formed into, constituted and made a Body Politic and Corporate, by the name of the NEW HAMPSHIRE MEDICAL SOCIETY; and that they and their successors, and such other persons as shall be elected in the manner herein-after mentioned, shall be and continue a Body Politic and Corporate by the same name for ever. "§ 2. And be it further enacted, That the Fellows of said Society may, from time to time, elect a President, Vice-president, and Secretary, with such other officers as they shall judge necessary and convenient. And the Fellows of said Society shall have full power and authority, from time to time, to determine and establish the names, number, and duty of their several officers, and the tenure and estate they have in their offices, respectively; and also to authorize and empower their President, or some other officer, to administer such oaths to such officers as they, the Fellows of said Society, shall appoint and determine, for the well ordering and good government of the said Society—provided the same be not repugnant to the laws of this State. 66 66 § 3. And be it further enacted, That the Fellows of said Society shall have one common Seal, and power to break, change, and renew the same at their pleasure. 66 "§ 4. And be it further enacted, That the Fellows of said Society may sue and be sued, in all actions, real, personal, and mixed, and prosecute and defend the same unto final judgment and execution, by the name of the NEW HAMPSHIRE MEDICAL SOCIETY. 66 "§ 5. And be it further enacted, That the Fellows of said Society may, from time to time, elect such persons to be Fellows thereof, as they may judge proper; and that they, the Fellows of said Society, shall have power to suspend, expel, or disfranchise, any Fellows of said Society. "§ 6. And be it further enacted, That the Fellows of said Society shall have full power and authority to make and enact such Rules and By-laws, for the better government of said Society, as are not repugnant to the laws of this State; and to annex reasonable fines and penalties to the breach of them, not exceeding the sum of Twenty Pounds, to be sued for and recovered by said Society, and to their own use, in any Court of Record in this State proper to try the same; and also to establish the time and manner of convening the members of said Society; and also to determine the number of Fellows that shall be present to constitute a meeting of said Society; and also that the number of said Society, who are inhabitants of this State, shall not at any time be more than seventy, nor less than fifteen; and that their meeting shall be held in Concord, or such other place within this State, as a majority of the members present, in a legal meeting, shall judge most fit and convenient. “And whereas it is clearly of importance, that a just discrimination should be made between such as are duly educated and properly qualified for the duties of their profession, and those who may ignorantly and wickedly administer medicine, whereby the health and lives of many valuable individuals may be endangered, or perhaps lost to the community: 66 "§ 7. Be it therefore further enacted, That the President and Fellows of said Society, or such of their officers or Fellows as they may appoint, shall have full power and authority to examine all candidates for the practice of Physic and Surgery, who shall offer themselves for examination respecting their skill in their profession; and if upon examination, the said candidates shall be found skilled in their profession, and fitted for the practice of it, they shall receive the approbation of the Society, in letters testimonial of such examination, under the Seal of said Society, signed by the President, or such other person or persons as shall be appointed for that purpose. 66 "§ 8. And be it further enacted, That if the said President, and such other person or persons so elected and appointed for the purpose of examining candidates as aforesaid, shall obstinately and unreasonably refuse to examine any candidate so offering himself for examination as aforesaid, such and every such person so elected and appointed as aforesaid, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding One Hundred Pounds, nor less than Twenty Pounds, to be recovered by the said candidate, and to his own use, in any court within this State proper to try the same. 66 "§ 9. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said MEDICAL SOCIETY, from time to time, to describe and point out such a medical instruction or education, as they shall judge requisite for candidates for the practice of Physic and Surgery, previous to their examination before them, or their officers appointed for that purpose, respecting their skill in their profession, and shall cause the same to be published in two newspapers printed in different counties in this State. And every candidate examined and approved by the President and Fellows of said Society, or such of their officers or Fellows as they shall appoint, shall be held to pay such reasonable fees of office as shall be established by said Society for the examination of candidates, and letters testimonial in favor of such as shall be approbated. And the Treasurer of said Society for the time being, shall have full power and authority to sue for and recover the same, in any court proper to try the same. "§ 10. And be it further enacted, That the Fellows of said Society may and shall for ever be deemed capable in law, of holding and taking, in fee-simple, or any less estate, by gift, grant, devise, or otherwise, any lands, tenements, or other estate, real or personal, provided that the annual income of the whole real estate that may be given, granted, or devised to, or purchased by, the said Society, shall not exceed the sum of Two Hundred Pounds, and the annual income or interest of said personal estate shall not exceed the sum of One Thousand Pounds: And the annual income or interest of the said real and personal estate, together with the fines and penalties paid to said Society, or recovered by them, shall be appropriated to such purposes as are consistent with the end and design of the institution of said Society, and as the Fellows thereof shall determine. "§ 11. And be it further enacted, That His Excellency Josiah Bartlett, Esq., be, and he hereby is, authorized and directed to fix the time and place of holding the first meeting of said Medical Society, and to notify the Fellows thereof accordingly." In the year 1816, June 21, an additional act was passed in the Legislature, by which the Society is authorized and empowered to admit into its body two hundred members, instead of seventy, the original number of Fellows. The first meeting of the Society was holden at Lamson's Hall, in Exeter, on Wednesday, May 4, 1791. The following is the recorded account of the meeting. "Present, His Excellency Josiah Bartlett, Esq., Joshua Brackett, Hall Jackson, Nathaniel Peabody, John Rogers, Ebenezer Rockwood, William Cogswell, Willian Parker, Jr., Benjamin Page, and Isaac Thom, members. "Voted and elected Hall Jackson, Chairman, who took the chair accordingly. "Proceeded to the choice of President, and the ballots being taken and counted, it appeared His Excellency Josiah Bartlett, Esq. was unanimously elected President. "Proceeded to the choice of Recording Secretary, and the ballots being taken and counted, it appeared that William Parker, Jr. was unanimously chosen to that office. "Attest, "Rockingham ss. JOSHUA BRACKETT, HALL JACKSON, ISAAC THOM, WILLIAM COGS WELL.' "At Exeter, May 4, 1791, the aforenamed William Parker, Jr. was duly sworn to execute the duties of his office as Recording Secretary. "Coram, NATHANIEL PEABODY, Jus. Peace." "Proceeded to the choice of Vice-president; the ballots taken and counted, it appeared the Hon. Joshua Brackett, Esq. was unanimously elected Vicepresident. "Proceeded to the choice of additional members of this Society. "Levi Bartlett, John Preston, Thomas Stow Ranney, Amos Gale, Thomas Sargeant, Thomas Russel, Nathaniel Kidder, Joseph Tilton, Peter Green, Philip Carrigain, Jonathan Gove, Moses Nichols and James Howe were elected Fellows. "Voted, That a committee be appointed to form a system of laws and regulations for the Society, to be laid before them at their next meeting. "Voted, That Joshua Brackett, Ammi R. Cutter, Hall Jackson and John Jackson be the committee; and that the aforesaid committee be requested to report a device of a Seal for the Society. "Voted, That this meeting be adjourned to the first Thursday in June next, to meet at Hannaford's, in Concord." The Society met according to adjournment. Little was done. Nathan Smith, Calvin Frink and Thomas Stearns were elected Fellows; and Nathaniel Peabody and Levi Bartlett were added to the committee for preparing laws and regulations for the Society. The meeting was adjourned to assemble in Exeter the third Wednesday in September following. The Society met according to adjournment, but there not being a quorum present, the meeting was adjourned to the last Tuesday in November ensuing, to meet at Greenleaf's tavern, in Portsmouth. The Society convened according to adjournment, and " proceeded to examine the laws and regulations for the Society exhibited by their committee, and having agreed to sundry amendments, "Voted, To postpone the further consideration of the laws, &c. to the next annual meeting, and that Samuel Tenney and William Parker, Jr. be a committee to prepare them as altered by this meeting, to be laid before the Society at the annual meeting. "Voted, That the Secretary give public notice in two of the New Hampshire newspapers, of the time and place of holding the annual meeting, which by the adoption of a certain article in the laws and regulations of the Society to be hereafter inserted, is to be on the Wednesday following the general election of the State at the place of holding said election." The annual meeting, agreeably to the above vote, was held at Dover, June 13, 1792, at which time the Society adopted a system of By-laws and Regulations which are similar to those now in use. A few alterations, deemed advisable, as circumstances have changed, have been introduced. Some extracts from the present code of By-laws and Regulations, will now be made, illustrative of the proceedings of the Society. "Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the Society shall be holden the Tuesday preceding the first Wednesday in June, at 10 o'clock, in the town of Concord, or at such other place as the Society may appoint, fourteen days' notice being previously given by the Secretary in two public papers. Nine Fellows shall constitute a quorum to transact business. At this meeting there shall be elected, by ballot, a President, Vice-president, two Counsellors and two Censors from each district, a Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian, the Library Committee, Committee of Correspondence, and two Delegates to attend the Medical Examinations at Dartmouth College." "Assessments. Every Fellow shall annually contribute one dollar to the funds of the Society, and pay the same to the Treasurer; and no Fellow shall be allowed the loan of any book or other article belonging to the Society, nor be allowed to vote at any meeting, until he shall have made such payment." "Resignations. A Fellow may resign his Fellowship, after giving satisfactory reasons to the Council." "Expulsion. In cases in which the Council of the General Society have original jurisdiction, a complaint shall be lodged with a Counsellor of the district to which the accused party belongs; and if the said Counsellor is convinced that the charge is not a frivolous or vexatious one, he shall annex an order to the complaint, directed to the accused party, requiring him to appear before the Council; which the complainant shall serve on the accused, by leaving an attested copy of the complaint and order with him at least fifteen days before the meeting of the Council, and make a return of his doings thereon to the Secretary, on or before the meeting of the Council. "No deposition shall be received from either party, unless in case of the consent between the two parties before the Council, the adverse party has been served with a regular notice agreeably to the statute regulating the taking of depositions out of court." "Consultations. It is deemed disreputable, and shall be unlawful, for a Fellow or Associate of this Society, in the capacity of Physician or Surgeon, to advise or consult with any person, unless he has one or more of the following qualifications "1. He shall have been duly examined and licensed by the Censors: or "2. He shall have received the degree of Bachelor or Doctor of Medicine at some university: or "3. In case he has come from some other State or Country, shall produce to the Censors such evidence or testimonials of his qualifications for the practice of Medicine and Surgery, as they shall deem and certify to be sufficient. "And every Fellow or Associate, who shall consult with, abet, or assist any person not qualified as above, or who has been expelled from the Society, either by visiting his patients, or advising with him in any way whatever, shall for such offence, be disqualified from voting at any meeting for one year, sball be liable to the censure and reprimand of the Council, and in aggravated cases, to expulsion. Provided nevertheless, That it may be admissible for Fellows or |