INAUGURAL CEREMONY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10597, 18 February 1896, Page 3

INAUGURAL CEREMONY.

The inaugural ceremony in connection with the meeting of the congrsss was held in the 'Choral Hall, and proved a brilliant function. The hall was crowded with ladies and gentlemen, among those present being nearly all the members of the congress. ( Tho other learned profeoeiona, the Legislature, and tha local bodies were also largely represented in tha assemblage. Shortly after the hour fixed for the commencement of the meeting Lord and Lady Glasgow arrived at the hall, where they were received by the president. The Otago Husssrs formed a guard of honour to his Excellency as he drove from the Grand Hotel to the hall. Warm applause greeted the Governor as he stepped on to the platform, and a similar welcoma was accorded to Lady- Glasgow, the president and Mrs Batchelor, and the members of tho Ministry.' His Excellency the Governor filled the chair, and seats on the platform were occupied also by the Countess of Glasgow, the president of the congress (Dr Batohelor), Mrs Batchelor, the Premier (the Hon. K. J. Seddon), the Colonial Treasurer (the Eon. J. G. Wind), his Honor Mr Juatica Williams. Dr

Love (representing Queensland), Professor Allen (Melbourne), Dr O'Hara (Melbourne), Dr Swiugthorpe (Melbourne), Professor Soott, the Hon. Dr Grace M.L C. (Wellington), his Worship the Mayor (Mr N. Y. A. Wales), Major Elliott, Capt&iu Preston, Dr Batnett, and Dr Closs. ' '

Tee President : I have to ask his Excellency the Governor to declare the congress o^en.

His Excellency the Governor, who was received with chears, said: Mr, President, ladies, and gentlemeD,—Before saying what it is my pleasing duty tri say, I Wg to express my most unfeigned pleasure, in being able to come here to - night to do whst is in my . power to show my appreciation of the work which is to be done at thin congress, und to do it what honour I cm—(Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen, it is my first and roost pleasing duty to offer, on behalf of myself, as Governor of this colony, and on behalf of New Sealand, a most cordial welcome to all the members of the congress who are here assembled, but especially to those members who have crossed the stormy ocean to come here on this occasion.—(Applause;) I believe that you are, nearly all of you, aware that this is one of a series of congresses which have been held during the last few years in Australasia. The first was held in Adelaide in the year 1887, the.secoud in Melbourne in 1889 (the yeir of the'great exhibition there), the third was held in Sydney in the year 1892, and this is the fourth of the series. I believe, Mr Piw.ident, that you to-dny in your remarks on one occasion stated the reasons which caused you to be pleased with tha number of the members who have appeared to take their part in the deliberations of this congress, but there may ,be somo here who are not aware of the reason why it is not to be expected that in New Zealand we should be able to have such a large number of medicßl men present in the congress as has been the; case in former congrssses in Australia. I may poiut out' that Dunedin 'is a town of 40,000 inhabitants, whereas Melbourne is a town of nearly 500,000 inhabitants, and Sydney of 450,000. You will understand that there are not so many doctors in Dunedinas there »ra in those great towns, bnt even if there was not that great reason why there should not be such a large assemblage here, when we think of the stormy water which has been crossed to como to New Zealand we know it is sufficient to daunt a great many heart?. We are therefore very glad indeed to welcome thoso medical men who have come from the Australian colonies to be present on this occasion.—(Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen, we know not only tha tenor* of that crossing, but we are also glad to know that that crossing not only did not daunt many of those who are hera present, but that they landed on ths Went Coast and made their way across the inland through the Lake country, showing thereby a superabundance of energy, the remainder of which I hope they will 9p»nd in doinf; the work of this congress. On benalf of New Zealand, I may perhaps be allowed to siy that it gives ns great pleasure to think that so many medical men have come over and have paid this visit to our lakes, because we feei sura that when they return to their country they will say tbere is no place where it is more delightful ta ppond a hot lummer than in the lake country of New Zealand. — (Applau'e.) Ladies and gentlemen, I think ths medical profession of Australasia are to be congratulated upon having formed this corporation, if I mo.y uno Ihe expression, of having undertaken to meet together in this series of congresses as' they have been doing for the lass few years. This nineteenth ceaturyis acentury which is remarkable for many thing.*. I think among other things it is remarkable for being a century of congressas. On every possible subject people meet together and talk it over, aad there can be no possible doubt that in all scientific bodies it is of the utmost use that the members should meet together and talk over the subjects in which they are interested. We all know that this is the case with the Royal Society at Home, .and with the different associations conueatsd with science, and we are to be congratulated on the fact th«t the great medical bodies in these colonies are cot behindhand in taking an interest in their work, but have mat in the same way as they do at Home for the purpose of tilking over the work in which they are engaged. They have met every three years to take stock, so to speak, of their work—to go over the work that has been dove during: the preceding period, to consider all (he new ioventions and new discoveries that are made in medical acieace,. and by means of these discussions and deliberations to see their path clear before them for the work they have to do in future. It' is for these reasons, ladies and gentlemen, that I think we are to. be congratulated upon having in Australasia such a number of able medical men who are able not only to do their work but to look forward to the future, and in every way possible to fit themselves for tha work which will come upon them in times to come.—(Applause), Ladies and gentlemen, I think it is hardly nece3sary for me to assure the members of the Medical Congress of the interest which the public of Now Zealand take in their work. Ido not think there are many raedioal men in the world who are fitted to do their work iE they are not the friends of those among whom they practise. You are all centres of groups of friends, and it is through your friendship with them that you are able to do your work efficiently. It is because in this colony, as in the others, we are well acquainted with the usefulness of tho work you are hereto do and the way in which you do it that we heartily show our interest in the work you have assembled to do, and wish you Godspeed in it.—(Applause.) You have not come here, ladies and gentlemen, to-uight ta hear an address from me, although I think in one of the papers it waa said that I was to deliver the inaugural address on this occasion. I can only in a few words—the best which I can muster— express onr feelings of welcome to you oi this occasion and perform the duty, which I co » heg te do—that is, Mr President, to declare thin congress, the Intercolonial Medical Congress of Australasia, open, and to wish it Godspsed in its work. —(Continued applause ) , The Phesident requnßted the- Premier to address a few words of welcome to the visiting members of the congress.

Tlis Premier, who ivai re2eived with loud applause, said : Your Excellency, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen;—lt is with pleasure that I respond to the call of the president. I r.<grct, at the same time, that it has not been left in abler hands than mine to accord this welcome to our guests. Permit me, ladies and gentleman, to say this : that I should ba .wanting in my duty to the people or New Zealand and to the people here assembled did I not, to the best of my ability, accord our visitors that welcome they are entitled to.— (Applause.) When, some time ago, thi3 was firit mentioned to me, when a deputation waited on me to ask what HStriftance the Govsrument would lend to the congress, if held in New Zealand, I considered it to be my duty, simply as a representative of tho people and the Stite, to gay that we should do here in New Zeal.iud what had been done in the other c;>loDies, and in the intoresta of all endeavour to help those moving in the matter to bring it to a succeaaful issue.—(Applause.) It was thought at the time that that was a very large order. His Excellency the Governor has told you that the configuration of onr country and the settlement of ita people differ widely from that of Australia. You mikfUt say, practically speaking, that Malbourne represents Victoria. There ia very little difficulty in the way of numbers of medical men meeting in Melbourne. There is very little difficulty in the way of m-'dical men from other olonies getting to Melbourne. The same thing would apply in every case to 'New South Wales ; and I think that, seeing the difficulties—the tima that is entailed by travelling the long distance, and the tima needed to do justice to the subjt)Cts brought under th« notice of the congriss— thosa who have come h&re, who have spant this time and gone to tais expense and inconvenience to be here are doubly welcome, and that the congress is in every sanse of the term a success.—(Apulamo.) We must not forgot that New South Wales—our parent colonyis here, at this congress, represented. Vic'orU) Queensland, and Ta»minia are also represented. Sir John Forrest informed me by telegram that the chief medical officer of Western Australia would be present at this congress, but I regret to say that bo far thit representative has not arrived. Probably the absence from the congress o\ medical men from Western Australia may be easily accounted for. The large influx of population, the attractions of the goldfields, and the necessity of attending to the siok have probably prevented some of the mediwil men of that part from leaving there.— (Laughter.) Bat we are gl3d indeed to find so many medical man, representative men of their profession from the whole of the colonie3, here in New Zsaknd. I say th*t this is a federal movement. It is a federation whioh must prove beneficial to all concerned.— (Applause.) I say that there is no object so worthy as that for which the3e gentleman ara gathered together in our midst—representatives of medicine, surgery, dentistry, nod public health—and they ara here banded together to alleviate as far as they can suffering and the sufferings of humanity. I say th»t nothing should so far commend itself to our good wishes as the fact that they are here for that purpose; and I am sure that you hera, and every well-wisher of the colony, will join me in extending to them a most hearty welcome.—(Applause.) I feel myself that our country will benefit in many ways by this vijit. The master-minds of the profession here in congress assembled will go into many subjects which will be brought under their notice, and there will be a beneficial result therefrom. We must admit that, as has'been stated by his Excellency, great progress has bean made ; but we know that there . are men in the noble profession to which I allude who month after month—nay, year after year—are studying. Experience is teaching, and from that experience they are learning; but there is doubt; they hesitate; they must have the assistance of others -who have probably been also studying and experimenting. Now the orinaifainitv is (risen at tha oJ

suoh a congress as this, and master minds are brought to bear upon the experience—upon the study of the medical man who h»s been so experimenting, and we stall find that as the result of it moon benefit will be derived from the study of this noble work.—(Applausa.) Then, agaio, I »»y that in a country aach as AustraUsia we should be brought more in touch with each other. There are very many in New Zealand who have not the opportunity of visiting the other colonies. There are. mauy in tha other colonies who do not know that New Zealand is the beautiful and attractive country Shat it is, and when these gentlemen return to Australia and find, a* they will, that some of their patients are suffering from the effects of the excessive heat we haw been reading about during the last few weeks, they will no doubt, in the interests of the patient', recommend a change, and send them as near as possible to Mount CcoV.—(Laughter » n d applauae.) The Premier w«nt on to express the hope that the visitors would see as ' much of the colony as was possible in th« timo at their disposal, and promised that every assistance which the authorities conld give them to make tbeir visit pleasant as well as profitable would be oordially given. The President then delivered an able and lengthy address, in which, taking as his subject " The Present and Prospective Conditions of Medical Education," he directed attention to the great scientific advance made in the last quarter of a century in the sphere oE medical practice, and maintained that there had not been a properly corresponding readjustment of tho subjects of study for junior students. A vote of thanks to the president was proposed by Professor Allen (Melbourne) and a similar oorapliment to the Governor was proposed by the Hon. Dr Gbace (Wellington).