Excerpt from President's Annual Address Before the Texas State Medical Association, at Belton, Tex., April 23d, 1884

As far back as we have any knowledge of medical schools and asso ciations the members of these, have'at times, not agreed often on vital points. Professional schism has even prevailed, and has often wrought injury, sometimes: good There are imany things about which the most learned of our profession honestly differ, and the better will it 'be when we accept this inevitable fact, and do away with questions of casuistry or cease to engage in debates of polemical character. Yet men will differ in all the affairs of life, and even of the hereafter. We are but mortal, an i too much should not be expected of us. One mind is trained in one channel of thought -- another differently. By clash Of arms the strength or weakness of a fort is tried. A West Point and Annapolis man laughed at the sand embankment of a heathen, though they soon.unlearned, by dear experience, the fierce teachings of the grandest military schools on earth. All of us have not had exactly the same oral teachings; This would engender difference Of belief, or a divergent belief might result from the manner' of interpreting the didactic teachings of the; same author The university of New York teaches that yellow fever is of spontaneous origin'on our gulf, while the university of Louisiana takes the opposite position. When out of such variance'we can' establish the truth, science is advanced and the interests of our fellow-man benefited. It would seem rather desirable tltatl.: a zdifl'erence should exist in our minds that investigation should be �pushed with a thoroughness that will eliinina'teall error, and place its-on a solid. Base of truth. But for disputes Of this nature Charle insigne might nothave established his new school ofomedicine, almost the first, out.of which grew a desire for the teaching and spread of truth rather than the Benedecine hoarding of medical learning. In matters of church state how many of you agree? Some believe in the infallibili'ty; of their family physician, some in amulets and charms.

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