F 195 
 .B87 
 Copy 1 
 
 ADDRESS OF WELCOME 
 
 TO 
 
 The Southern Surgical and 
 Gynecological Society, 
 
 Delivered at Washington, 
 
 By SANIUEL C. BUSEY, NI. D. 
 
 November 12, 1895. 
 
 A compilation of data relating to the eleemosynary, religious, 
 
 and scientific foundations in the City of Washington, 
 
 and realty of the Government in the 
 
 District of Columbia. 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. '. 
 
 Gibson Bkos., Printers and Bookbinders. 
 
 189^. 
 
Ml 
 
ADDRESS OF WELCOME, 
 
 By SAMUEL C. BUSEY, M. D. 
 
 Delivered November 12, 1895. 
 
 Mr. President and Memhers of the Southern Surgical and 
 Gynecological Association : 
 
 Through the partiality of the distinguished chairman 
 of your Committee of Arrangements, I am here to offer the 
 fraternal greetings of the medical profession of the District 
 of Columbia to you at this first meeting of your associ- 
 ation north of the river Potomac. This invasion is the 
 expression of that friendship and comity which makes 
 kindred of us all, and is significant only in that it is a 
 voluntary reunion upon common territory of the citizens 
 of a common countr}', who are engaged in a common 
 pursuit, characterized by the spirit of Christian benevo- 
 lence and philanthropy. 
 
 In one aspect Ave are your guests, invited, by your 
 presence here, to participate in the consideration of the 
 subjects set forth in the programme, and to co-operate 
 with you in promoting the advancement of a science 
 which has for its highest aims the amelioration of suffer- 
 ing and the saving and prolongation of human life. 
 
 I need not then tell you of the pleasure it gives me to 
 bid you welcome to this city of the nation, which I have 
 seen grow from its village appointments to the propor- 
 tions and grandeur of the nation's metropolis, but I must 
 
give expression to the cordiality and fraternity which my 
 juniors in the practice of medicine in this city have bidden 
 me to offer you on this their first and only oppoiiunity to 
 congratulate this association on its success and achieve- 
 ments in the recent past. 
 
 The population of this city is largely cosmopolitan, and 
 more closel}^ representative of the population of the coun- 
 try at large than that of any other city, and those of you 
 who come from the tropical regions of the South, as well 
 as those from the border States along the course of the 
 historical line of Mason and Dixon, will find here the 
 representative types of congenial manhood and responsive 
 hospitality from every section of the national domain, 
 mingling and commingling in one homogeneous com- 
 munity, irrespective of local and State nativities and pro- 
 vincial customs and characteristics, and engaged on equal 
 terms in all the relations and pursuits of business, em- 
 ployment and social life. There are, of course, cliques, 
 coteries, clans, social circles, exclusive factions, gangs and 
 cabals of good and evil import, but not banded by State 
 and local affinities. But the truth of history compels 
 me to add that its representative character would be in- 
 complete without such slums as Swampoodle, Murder 
 Bay, Hell's Bottom, and Hooker's Division, — localities 
 where vice and crime, in all their loathsome hideousuess, 
 found domicile and protection, but which are now rapidly 
 disappearing before the energy, thrift, and progress of a 
 cosmopolitan and laAV-abiding population. 
 
 In a population of two hundred and seventy thousand 
 there are one hundred and eighty churches ; one hundred 
 and three public school buildings, with an attendance of 
 forty-four thousand pupils ; four universities in success- 
 ful operation, two more in course of establishment, and 
 another in contemplation ; five medical and four law 
 
schools, with anunally increasing numbers of matricu- 
 lates ; five general and two special hospitals, with ac- 
 commodation for seven hundred patients ; two foundling 
 hospitals, one emergency hospital, and one for incura- 
 bles, several public dispensaries, one deaf and dumb 
 asylum, and one insane asylum. There are seventy well- 
 established charitable and reformatory institutions pro- 
 viding for the care of the indigent, helpless, sick, injured, 
 and wayward, of which thirty-five do not receive any 
 public aid, but have been founded and are supported by 
 the munificence of philanthropic citizens and residents of 
 the Federal territory. There is not one gambling house 
 " known to the authorities," but there are five hundred 
 and eighty licensed saloons, — far too many in a population 
 so abundantly supplied with eleemosynary, religious, and 
 edvicational institutions, which in some measure is due to 
 inadequate legislation by Congress. Thus, notwithstand- 
 ing our dependence upon a legislature without representa- 
 tion, the citizens and private property-holders of the Fed- 
 eral territory exhibit most remarkable and creditable 
 progress in all those qualities and instrumentalities of en- 
 lightened and Christian civilization which contribute so 
 much to the well-being of the human race and have made 
 this the foremost nation on the globe. 
 
 You must excuse the interpolation, in this connection, 
 of the statement that in this District the death-rate has 
 gradually diminished in the past fifteen years, and the 
 average longevity of decedents has increased. Among 
 the whites four years nine months and nineteen days, 
 having risen from thirty-two years and three days in 
 1881 to thirty-six years nine months and nineteen days 
 in 1895 ; and among the colored from twenty years ten 
 months and eleven days in 1881 to twenty-five years 
 eight months and twenty-seven days in 1895. These fig- 
 
uies ext'iiiplify the maxim of Prof. Pierce, that " virtue, 
 like intellect, tlouhtless tends to longevity." If time per- 
 mitted, I might, with equal ]n'ecision, show that this pop- 
 ulation is chai-acterized by three elements of strength of 
 a people — " longevity, fecundity, and vigor." 
 
 In another aspect you are our guests, and, in behalf of 
 the profession and of the community at large, I welcome 
 you to the only city in this great and populous country 
 wherein each one of you can claim and enjoy the privi- 
 leges and immunities vested in common citizenship, in so 
 much as each one and all of you, in some measure, hold, in 
 common with the many millions of citizens, proprietary 
 rights and sovereign power. That you may more fully 
 estimate and appreciate the magnitude of such preroga- 
 tives, let me tell you that in the area of 69,245 square 
 miles covering the territory of the District of Columbia 
 the Government owns four thousand two hundred and 
 twenty acres of land, exclusive of the streets, avenues, and 
 alleys of the city, and property in this cit}' valued at 
 $201,711,959, being $10,294,155 in excess of the value of 
 private property. To this valuation must be added the 
 value of the Government lands lying outside of the limits 
 of the city, which comprise three thousand four hundred 
 and twenty acres, which, with the improvements thereon, 
 are estimated at the low valuation of eight and one-half 
 millions of dollars. The aggregate of the Government 
 realty in the District of Columbia, including the streets, 
 avenues and alleys of the city, but not including the enor- 
 mous tract of reclaimed Potomac river Hats, or purchases 
 since 1889, is seven thousand eight hundred and twenty- 
 six acres of land. 
 
 Note. -Nunil)(U' of iiud area of Government parks and reservations 
 under the control of the Chief of Engineers. U. S. A., June 30, 1894 : — 
 Total number of reservations. :!fll ; acres, 405.08. 
 
And now if you will go with me through these streets 
 and avenues, you will see these properties represented in 
 magnificent public buildings, decorated and improved 
 
 Reservations highly and partially improved, 133 ; acres, 356.39. 
 
 lleservatious nnimproved, 108 ; acres, 48.69. 
 
 President's Park area, 82 aci'es and 9,683 sq. feet. 
 
 Washington Park 
 
 Smithsonian Park 
 
 Henry Park 
 
 Seaton Park 
 
 Seaton Park continued 
 
 Judiciary Square 
 
 Mount Vernon Park 
 
 Franklin Park 
 
 Lafayette Park 
 
 McPlaerson Park 
 
 Farragut Park 
 
 Rawlins Park 
 
 Lincoln Park 
 
 Stanton Park 
 
 Folger Park 
 
 Garfield Park 
 
 Marion Park 
 
 Washington Circle 
 
 Dujiont Circle 
 
 Scott Circle 
 
 Thomas Circle 
 
 Iowa Circle 
 
 Garfield Circle 
 
 To the above must be added the area of 277 triangle and trapezoid 
 reservations, making in the aggregate 405.08 acres. The area of the 
 streets and avenues in the city is 3,606 acres. 
 
 United States Suburban Property. 
 
 Reservoir near Georgetown 55.86 acres. 
 
 Receiving Reservoir 166.25 
 
 Naval Observatory 70. 
 
 Battle Cemetery 1. 
 
 Howard University Park 11. 
 
 Smith's Spring 1. 
 
 New Reservoir 40.74 
 
 U. S. Military Asylum 495. 
 
 Columbia Institution for Deaf and Dumb 110. 
 
 Reform School 266.84 
 
 St. Elizabeth Asylum 446. 
 
 U. S. Navy Magazine 84.03 
 
 Rock Creek Park 1,515.27 
 
 Zoological Park 166.48 
 
 Suburban property, total 3,420.15 
 
 Streets and avenues in city 3,606. 
 
 Land in city of Washington 799.78 
 
 Total Government land in D. C 7,825.93 
 
 82 acres 
 
 and 9,683 sq. 
 
 78 
 
 22.678 '• 
 
 58 
 
 1,260 " 
 
 14 
 
 37.830 " 
 
 12 
 
 21,902 
 
 6 
 
 19,440 
 
 19 
 
 35,712 " 
 
 2 
 
 27,673 " 
 
 4 
 
 28,590 " 
 
 6 
 
 41,414 " 
 
 1 
 
 29,216 " 
 
 1 
 
 26,216 
 
 1 
 
 30,218 " 
 
 6 
 
 25,284 " 
 
 3 
 
 2,145 " 
 
 1 
 
 39,654 " 
 
 23 
 
 42,691 " 
 
 1 
 
 26,840 " 
 
 1 
 
 36,865 " 
 
 1 
 
 2,722 '• 
 
 
 7,854 " 
 
 
 28,352 " 
 
 2 
 
 2,087 " 
 
 
 6,361 " 
 
parks and reservations. But this great Government has 
 not limited its possessions and expenditures in this Dis- 
 trict to the acquisition of realty, the construction of pub- 
 lic buildings and improvement of parks, but has been a 
 generous though inadequate contributor to the develop- 
 ment and advancement of various branches of science, in 
 the establishment and support of bureaux and depart- 
 ments of science, art, and literature, comprising Architec- 
 ture ; Astronomy ; Astro-physics ; Animal Industry, includ- 
 ing infectious diseases and pathology of animals, dairy 
 investigations, and zoological and biochemic laboratories ; 
 Agrostology ; Biology ; Botany ; Bibliography ; Clima- 
 tology ; Forestry ; Education ; Entomology ; Ethnology ; 
 Hydrography ; Hydrometry ; Hygiene ; Ichthyology ; Inter- 
 national Exchanges ; Meteorology ; Mammalogy ; Museum ; 
 Law ; Medicine ; Printing and Engraving ; Ornithology ; 
 Ordnance ; Vegetable Pathology and Physiology ; Po- 
 mology ; Soils and Foods ; Weights and Measures ; Quar- 
 antine ; Bacteriology ; Pathology, and Zoology. 
 
 I cannot detain you with a statement in detail of the 
 operations of these scientific foundations, not as yet com- 
 plete in any department, but steadily progressing towards 
 that standard of excellence and usefulness which will, in 
 the near future, make the j^olitical home of the nation the 
 centre of science, literature, and art. But I can assert 
 that in learned and scientific institutions, bureaux, depart- 
 ments, and great national libraries, with their corps of 
 experts in the various branches of science, this city offers 
 opportunities not excelled in any city in this country. 
 
 And now, coming closer to that branch of science which 
 most concerns you, I must remind you that the same spirit 
 
 It has not been possible to obtain this information from any one de- 
 partment or source, and tlie reports are so conflicting it is hardly possi- 
 ble to avoid mistakes. 
 
 This estimate does not include the Maltby, Butler, and new Post-Office 
 buildings and grounds. 
 
which has given impetus to new thought and to new and 
 enlarged conceptions of scientific research has established 
 in this city a medical library greater in number and value 
 of volumes than any similar library in the world, and an 
 anatomical and pathological museum unsurpassed in the 
 variety of its collection. The publication of the index 
 catalogue in connection with this magnificent library will 
 contribute more toward the higher education of the medi- 
 cal profession than any single act of any nation on the 
 face of the globe. Then, too, the Government has estab- 
 lished a Museum of Hygiene, a National Quarantine, both 
 important adjuncts of preventive medicine, which will con- 
 tinue to grow in usefulness to the Government and to the 
 people at large. 
 
 These foundations have been developed under the 
 fostering care of a munificent Government. It may be 
 that it needed these establishments to fulfil its delegated 
 functions, and is compelled to secure the services of skilled 
 medical men to superintend their proper administration ; 
 nevertheless, even admitting this necessity to be the 
 primary cause for their foundation, it in no manner impairs 
 their value to the profession, and the duty is imposed 
 upon us to utilize them for the common good, and to 
 widen the scope of such endowments to the end that 
 we and the people may realize the full measure of their 
 usefulness. 
 
 I solicit your aid and co-operation in our efibrt to secure 
 the protection of our people from the horde of impostors 
 and charlatans which you have driven from your borders 
 by the enactment and enforcement of medical practice 
 laws, and which has made the District of Columbia a 
 common rendezvous where the most atrocious methods of 
 the charlatan and mercenary impositions are openly and 
 flagrantly committed to the wrong, injury, and robbery of 
 its citizens. You represent the most influential and in- 
 
telligent class of sutfragists, for whose aid ou the hustings 
 and at the polls we plead. 
 
 To state the deplorable condition of this District fully 
 and broadly, there are five medical schools and several 
 medical societies chartered b}^ acts of Congress, or under 
 the general incorporation law, authorized and emjiowered 
 to license persons to practice the art and science of 
 medicine, without any uniform, and by some without any 
 standard of qualification beyond the ability and willing- 
 ness of the applicant to pay the required fees, or give 
 promissory notes for such payment ; and under the pro- 
 visions of the general incorporation law any dozen of 
 persons can obtain a charter, upon payment of the fee 
 for recording the same, authorizing them as a body cor- 
 porate to confer the degree of M. D. at their pleasure and 
 will. Such is the status of this Federal territory, which 
 is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the highest tribunal 
 of legislation in the land, made up of the liepresentatives 
 and Senators from forty-one States and Territories, which 
 have enacted medical practice laws for the protection 
 and welfare of their citizens. Take these facts home with 
 you and re-echo them throughout the length and breadth 
 of the land, that such criminal neglect, not less disgrace- 
 ful and scandalous than the slums of vice, may not con- 
 tinue to afflict the citizens of the Federal territory'. 
 
 Pardon, in conclusion, the invocation of one who has 
 nearly completed a half century of service in the practice 
 of medicine, to assert the highest prerogatives of the 
 science of medicine, and by unity of etibrt enforce them 
 in the interest of and for the welfare of mankind, in that 
 governors, legislative bodies, town councils, and all others 
 in authority may come to know in the near future that 
 in preventive and remedial medicine trutli and science 
 must dominate whim, caprice, charlatanry, and mercenary 
 adventure. 
 
LIBRflRY OF CONGRESS