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AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY--MEDICAL SOCIETY.

AN agricultural society, at an early day, was formed in this County, and continued an annual fair for several years; but soon declined for want of legislative encouragement.

The legislature in 1843, passed an act to give encouragement for forming agricultural associations. This act authorizes the formation of agricultural societies in each County; which, when organized, become legal corporations with the usual powers necessary to accomplish their design, and the object of them is declared to be "to encourage and promote agriculture, domestic manufactures and the mechanic arts." The treasurer of the State is authorized to pay annually to each society a share of two thousand dollars, appropriated for the whole State, in proportion to the population of the County, in which it is established, provided that as large a sum shall have been otherwise raised.

Under this act, a society was formed by a convention held at Middlebury, on the 22d of January 1844, by the name of "The Addison County Agricultural Society." By the constitution adopted on that occasion, its object is declared to be "the improvement of agricultural productions, useful domestic animals, domestic manufactures and the mechanic arts, so far as they concern the interest of agriculture." The payment of one dollar is made the condition of annual membership, and the payment of fifteen dollars, the condition of life membership. The officers of the society, are to be a president, two vice presidents, secretary and treasurer. A board of managers is constituted, consisting of the above officers, and one member from each town, where ten members reside; who are authorized "to have a general supervision of the affairs of the society,

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fix upon such productions, experiments, discoveries or attainments in agriculture and horticulture, and upon such articles of manufacture, as shall come in competition for premiums at the agricultural fairs, also upon the number and amount of premiums, and the time and place of holding fairs." The officers are to be chosen at an annual meeting, to be held at Middlebury, on the first Wednesday of January, which was afterwards altered to the fourth Wednesday of that month. The first meeting was held on the same day the society was organized, and Hon. Silas H. Jenison was elected president, and Harvey Bell, Esq., secretary.

The first fair was held at the court house and adjoining grounds in Middlebury, October 1st 1844, and an address was delivered by Hon. Silas H. Jenison, which was printed, and from which we have already largely quoted. The fairs in 1845 and 1847, were held at Vergennes; at the former of which an eloquent and interesting address was made by Rev. Dr. Wheeler, President of the University of Vermont. Addresses have also been made at other fairs; of which we have not now sufficient information to give a correct statemerit. The fair in 1849 was held in Shoreham. All the others have been held in Middlebury. At the annual meeting in January 1852, the constitution was so altered as to authorize the managers to fix on a permanent location for the annual exhibitions; and they, at a meeting in June of that year, fixed on Middlebury for that purpose, provided the citizens should provide suitable grounds and fixtures, and pay one hundred dollars annually toward the expenses. Since that time the fairs have been held on grounds leased from Gen. Nash, in the north part of the village, where temporary fixtures were erected. These grounds have now been sold and appropriated to another use.

Several gentlemen in the County have recently purchased a tract of twenty-two acres, south of the court house, which formerly belonged to Jonathan Wainwright, including the barns and extensive sheds, erected for keeping and preparing for market his horses, when he was largely engaged in that trafic. Here they design to erect permanent fixtures upon a large scale for the accommodation of the annual exhibitions. Arrangements are in progress to raise

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the requisite funds to transfer the title to the corporation; but, until this is accomplished the society will pay rent to the proprietors.

Hitherto the fairs have fully met the expectations of the most sanguine. Many of them have been interesting and extensive, and, we think, have produced a favorable effect in stimulating efforts for improvement, and securing advancement in all the departments within the province of the society. There have been exhibited an extensive variety of the products of agriculture, horticulture, and of domestic and other manufactures; and very often of numerous and fine specimens of painting, drawing and various kinds of ornamental work by native artists. After what we have said of the stock department of agriculture, none will be disappointed when we say, that the exhibitions have been large and splendid in cattle, horses and sheep. Whatever others may say, the citizens of Addison County will not shrink from a comparison with the exhibitions of stock of any other County in the State, or perhaps of any other State.

The following have been the presidents and secretaries of the society.

The legislature, at their session in 1813, passed an act authorizing several physicians in each county by name, to form themselves into County Medical Societies, by the name of the Medical Society of the County in which they should be formed. And the societies were severally to be corporations with the usual powers, necessary for the purposes, for which they were designed; and were authorized to adopt and alter a corporate seal. They were to have power to assess taxes on the members, "for the purpose of procuring a library and suitable apparatus, and for other uses," provided the

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tax shall not exceed three dollars. The officers authorized by the law are a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, librarian and three or more censors.to hold their offices for one year, or until others are chosen. The several societies were required to "hold semi-annual meetings in the shire town in each county, at the time of the sitting of the County Court, for the purpose of establishing and regulating the libraries of said society, receiving and communicating medical information, examining students," and any other proper business. The act requires that students examined and approved by the censors "possess a good moral character," and "have pursued the studies of physic or surgery at least three years;" and, being approved, shall receive a diploma from the president, which shall entitle him to all the privileges of a member of the society. The same act authorizes the formation of a State Society, to consist of three delegates from each County Society.

The physicians named in the act for this County are William Bass, Edward Tudor, Ebenezer Huntington, Asher Nichols, John Wilson, Nicanor Needham, Frederic Ford Jr., John Lyman, Frederic Ford, William Guile, John Willard, Luther E. Hall, James Day, Dan Stone, Levi Warner, David McCollister, Martin Gay, Zenas Shaw, Josiah W. Bale.

In pursuance of this act the physicians named met at Middlebury on the 15th of December, 1813, and organized the Addison County Medical Society, and elected the following officers; Ebenezer Huntington, of Vergennes, President, William Bass, of Middlebury, Vice President, Luther E. Hall, Vergennes, Secretary, Frederic Ford, Cornwall, Treasurer, William Bass, Librarian, Dan Stone, Edward Tudor, Frederic Ford, Jr., John Lyman and David McCollister, Censors. Luther E. Hall and Dan Stone were appointed a Committee to report a code of by-laws. It was further voted, that future meetings shall be held at Dr. William Bass's, in Middlebury, and that the President deliver an inaugural address, before the society, at their next meeting. This meeting was adjourned to the 19th of January, 1814. At this meeting the President delivered his inaugural address; and a code of by-laws, reported by the committee, was adopted. William Bays and Luther E.

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Hall and Dan Stone were also appointed a committee, to "present to the Society a device for a seal and form of diploma." At the first meeting a tax of one dollar was assessed, which at the next was increased to one dollar and fifty cents; and at both these meetings, candidates were examined and licensed.

The society thus organized continued in full life and vigor until about the year 1824. Dissertations and addresses on medical subjects, under appointment for that purpose, were read; difficult and uncommon cases of disease and their treatment reported by the members; new members admitted, candidates examined and appeared by the censors received diplomas, taxes were assessed, a library collected and delegates regularly elected to the State Society. In 1822, the State Society commenced a series of resolutions proposing measures for the regulation of the County Societies. One requiring the County Societies to make an annual report of the "diseases prevalent in the County during the year," "under a penalty of five dollars fine on failure;" one prescribing new qualifications for the admission of candidates for license; and another affixing a penalty of five dollars for a neglect of the County Society to "send their proceedings to the State Society, annually, as required by law;" also a regulation respecting the dismission or withdrawing of members from the County Societies.

These proceedings were not received with much favor by this County Society; and at the annual meeting in December, 1824, a committee was appointed to take into consideration the proceedings of the State Society, and "report some plan of management for our Library." At an adjourned meeting the committee reported, recommending a dissolution of their connection with the State Society; and another committee was appointed to confer with the other County Societies on the subject. At a meeting in June, 1825, a resolution was passed instructing the delegates to request the State Society to "petition the Legislature so to alter the act of incorporation as to render the County Societies independent of the State Society."

The result of the proceedings, so far as appears of record, was that, at a meeting in May, 1826, a resolution was adopted to "put

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up our library at auction to the members of this Society;" and the sale took place in June following. In the meantime, several members had withdrawn with the consent of the Society, few attended the meetings, and the measure above mentioned was adopted, we suppose, to close the existence of the Society. The last meeting of which there is any record, was in October 1826; when the whole business related to closing the financial affairs of the Society. The organization of subsequent societies seem to have been regarded as a revival of this society, formed under the act of 1813, although at each of these organizations, new constitutions were adopted.

Dr. Ebenezer Huntington, the first president, was continued in that office until 1823, when Dr. Luther E. Hall was appointed, and continued president until 1826, when Dr. William Bass was appointed the last president. Dr. Luther E. Hall was secretary from 1813 to 1820, when Dr. Thomas P. Matthews was appointed and continued to the close.

On the 24th of December, 1835, a County Medical Society was organized and adopted a Constitution, and on the same day held its first meeting. Dr. Jonathan A. Allen was chosen President, Dan C. Stone and E. D. Warner, Vice Presidents, Ralph Gowdey, Secretary, and Atherton Hall, Treasurer. About six months after, in June, 1836, another meeting was held, and this closes its written history.

"The Addison County Medical Society" was re-organized by a convention held at Vergennes on the 30th day of June 1842, adjourned from a preliminary meeting held at Middlebury two weeks before. A new Constitution was then formed, by which the object of the organization is declared to be, "to promote a knowledge of medical and surgical science, and a friendly intercourse among the members of the faculty." The officers of the Society are "a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian, and three Censors, together with the President and Vice President, who shall be ex-officio Censors," and they are elected annually. "Any regular practicioner of medicine, a graduate of any legally authorized medical institution, who resides within the State, and shall sign the constitution and by-laws, and conform to the objects designed, may be a member of the society; and any person, who sus-

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tains a good moral character may become a member, who shall have studied the science of medicine and surgery three years under the direction of a regular practicioner, and attended at least one course of medical lectures, in some legally established institution, and has passed an examination by the censors, and by them recommended." Any person having passed such satisfactory examination "may become a member by signing the constitution and by-laws, and receive, if he wish, a diploma by paying five dollars." According to the by-laws, meetings are to be held "at Middlebury semi-annually, on Thursday of the first week of the County Court." The first meeting was held on the day on which the Constitution was adopted, and Dr. J. A. Allen of Middlebury, was chosen President, Dr. Dan C. Stone of Vergennes, Vice President, and Dr. David C. Goodale of Addison, Secretary.

Since the last organization in 1842, the society has been in efficient and successful operation. The meetings have generally been regularly held "and attended; and we judge many of them most interesting and profitable. A member at one meeting was often appointed to make an address or read an essay on some important subject at the next, and at all the meetings it was made the duty of each member to report such interesting and difficult cases of disease as had occurred in his practice, and each case was discussed by the other members of the society. It was one of the rules of the society that each person appointed president should make an address at the close of the term for which he was elected. At the annual meeting in June, 1847, Dr. Jonathan A. Allen, having officiated as President the previous year, read an address which was published. From this we make a quotation, principally to show how he regarded the influence of the organization. He says, "It is now five years since the Addison County Society was organized in its present form. During this period twenty meetings have been held, generally well sustained by the attendance of the members. Many facts, highly interesting to the profession, and consequently useful to the public, have been presented. Much valuable information has been elicited by our discussions, and we have every reason to believe that not a member has failed of adding

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to his general stock of practical knowledge. In addition to these advantages, valuable acquaintances have been formed, generous, elevated and kind professional feeling promoted. Many of these endearments will reciprocally remain among our members until the closing period of their existence. Jealousy, suspicion and want of confidence have been almost entirely removed from our ranks. Our members meet as friends. Consultations now, in lieu of being objects of bickering, are generally desired, and usually, by the mutual and kind expression of opinion, result beneficially to the sick." The whole community would feel safer if such an influence should prevail generally among the doctors.

At a subsequent meeting in February, 1848. the death of Dr. Allen was announced by Dr. Russel, who stated that "the principal object of the meeting was to adopt measures suitable to the occasion" of his death. "The President, Dr. Bradford of Vergennes, read a short but expressive paper concerning his life and death" and appropriate and commendatory resolutions were adopted. The Society also appointed Dr. S. P. Lathrop, of Middlebury, to prepare a biographical sketch, which was afterwards ordered to be published in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.

The following have been the Presidents and Secretaries of the Society.