-^■^'>')ia.,v•.•■ m ARMED FORCES MEDICAL LIBRARY Washington, D. C. ACT OF INCORPORATION AND LAWS OF THE PHILADELPHIA MEDICAL SOCIETT. ARRANGED AND COPIED BY ORDER OF THE SOCIETY) FEBRUARY, 1800, ■'^\B*jCiv"v EX COLLISIONE SCINTILLA. PHILADELPHIA; PRINTED BT PETER K.WAGNER, NO. 32 MORAVIAK ALLEY. DEC. 13. 1806. THE ACT OF INCORPORATION OF THE PHILADELPHIA MEDICAL SOCIETY, WHEREAS by an Act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, passed the sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hun- dred and ninety-one, entitled, " An Act to confer on " certain associations of the citizens of this Common- " wealth, the powers and immunities of corporations, or " bodies politic in law," it is enacted, " That when any " number of persons, citizens of this Commonwealth are " associated, or mean to associate, for any literary, chari- " table, or for any religious purpose, and shall be desirous t( to acquire and enjey the immunities of a corporation or " body politic in law, it shall, and may be lawful for such " persons to prepare an instrument in writing, therein spe- " cifying the objects, articles, conditions, name, style, or " title, under which they have associated, or mean to " associate, and the same to exhibit and present to the " Attorney-General of the Commonwealth for the time " being, for his perusal and approbation, and afterwards " to the Supreme Court of the said Commonwealth, for the " perusal and approbation of said Court, which, if finally " approved, shall be sent with certificates of such appro- " bation to the Governor of the Commonwealth, in order - 1W 4 " to be by him transmitted to the Master of the Rolls, to " be enrolled, and thence the persons so associating, shall " become, and be a corporation or body politic in law and '' in fact." NOW, in pursuance, and by virtue of the said recited act of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, the sub- scribers constituting an association under the title of " The " Philadelphia-Medical Society," being desirous to acquire and enjoy the powers and immunities of a corporation or body politic in law, for the literary purposes of their society,- do present this instrument in writing, containingj as is hereafter set forth, the objects, articles, and conditions, style, or title, under which they have associated, to. the said Attorney and Supreme Court respectively, for their perusal and approbation, to the intent that they- may become, and be a corporation or body politic in law and in fact, agreeably to the provisions in the said; recited act. That is to eay, ARTICLE I, The corporation shall be styled, " The Philadelphia & Medical Society," and shall consist of all the members of the association under that name, and such, other mem- bers as shall hereafter be duly chosen, agreeably to the Bye Laws of said corporation for the purpose of their mutual improvement in the science of medicine, and for the promoting of medical knowledge. ARTICLE II. The officers of the corporation shall consist of a Presi- dent, two Vice-Presidents, three Secretaries, one Trea* 5 surer, and two Curators, which officers shall be chosen at such times, in such manner, and for such periods, respec- tively, as the Bye Laws of the Society shall ordain. But all the officers now in office, shall so remain, until the next stated period of election. The duties of the officers respectively shall be such as the Bye Laws of the Society do or shall prescribe or ordain. ARTICLE III. The corporation shall convene every year at six o'clock, P. M. of the first baturday of November, and from that time shall continue to meet, at the same hour, and on the same day in each week, until the last Saturday of the ensu- ing February, in every year inclusive. But there shall be moreover two extraordinary meetings in each session, one on the first Wednesday of December, and the other on the first Wednesday of February, at six o'clock in the evening of those days respectively, for the sole and exclusive pur- poses of making, or altering, and amending the Bye Laws of the society, and of electing the officers thereof. ALTICLE IV. That the said Corporation and their successors, by the name, style, and title aforesaid, shall forever hereafter be able and capable, in law and in fact, to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, in any court or courts, before any judge or judges, justice or justices, in all manner of suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters, and demands whatso- ever ; they shall have power to make, have, and use one common seal, with such device and inscription as they A 3 6 shall deem proper, and the same to break, alter, and renew, at their pleasure; they shall have power and authority to make rules, bye laws and ordinances; and to do every other act and thing needful for the good government and support of the affairs of the said corporation: Provided always, That the said bye laws, rules or ordinances, or any of them, be not repugnant to the constitution and laws of the United States, and laws of this commonwealth, or to this instrument. ARTICLE V. The said Corporation and their successors, by the name, style and title aforesaid, shall be able and capable in law, according to the terms and conditions of this instrument, to take, receive, and hold, all grants, gifts, devises, and bequests, of real, personal, or mixed, estates, and to dis- pose thereof in any lawful manner for the use of the Cor- poration: Provided always, that the clear yearly value of the estate, real, personal, or mixed, of the said Corpora- tion, and the interest of money by them lent, shall not exceed the sum of five hundred pounds. I have perused and examined the preceding instrument, and hereby certify, that I am of opinion, that the ob- ' jects, articles, and conditions therein set forth and con- tained, are lawful. JARED INGERSOLL, Attorney-General. April 6th, 1792. 7 We the Justices of the Supreme Court of the common- wealth of Pennsylvania, hereby certify, That at a Supreme Court held at Philadelphia, for the said commonwealth, on the thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, an act or instru- ment of incorporation of the Philadelphia Medical Society* by the name and title of " The Philadelphia Medical " Society," signed by a number of persons, citizens of this commonwealth, together with the opinion of Jared Inger- soll, Esquire, Attorney-General of this commonwealth, thereon was exhibited to the said Supreme Court, who having perused and examined the same, concur with him in opinion, that the objects, articles, and conditions, therein set forth and contained are lawful. THOMAS M'KEAN, EDWARD SHIPF'EN, JASPER YEATES, WILLIAM BRADFORD. In the name, and by the authority of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. THOMAS MIFFLIN, Governor of the said Commonwealth, To MATTHEW IRVIN, Esq. Master of the Rolls in and for the said commonwealth, sends greeting: WHEREAS it has been duly certified to me, by Jared Ingersoll, Esquire, Attorney-General of the said common- wealth, and by Thomas M'Kean, Esquire, Chief-Justice, and Edward Shippen, Jasper Yeates, and William Brad- 8 ford, Esquires, Justices of the Supreme Court of Penn- sylvania, that they have respectively perused and examined the foregoing act, or instrument, for the incorporation of " The Philadelphia Medical Society;" and that they concur in opinion, that the objects, articles, and condi- tions therein set forth and contained, are lawful. NOW KOW YOU, That in pursuance of the act of the Gene- ral Assembly in such case made and provided, I have transmitted the said act, or instrument of incorporation unto you, the said Matthew Irvin, Master of the Rolls aforesaid, hereby requiring you to '.nrol the same, at the expense of the applicants, to the intent that, according to the objects, articles,, and conditions, therein set forth and contained, the parties may become, and be, a corporation, or body politic, in law, and in fact, to have continuance by the name, style, and title, in the said instrument provided and declared. Given under my hand, and the great seal of the state, at Philadelphia, this second day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and of the commonwealth, the six- teenth. By the Governor, A. J. Dallas, Secretary. Inrolled in the Rolls Office for the state of Pennsylvania, »n law book No. 4, page 465, &c. Witness my hand and seal of office, the second day of June, 1792. MATTHEW IRVIN. THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS JfOft THE GOVERNMENT «? THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA, NNO DOMINI 1804. THE CONSTITUTION, &c, THE society shall convene every year, on the first Saturday of November, at six o'clock P. M. and continue to meet on the same day of the week, and at the same hour, until the last Saturday of February inclusive. But a ma* ority of the members present, shall have power to call a special meeting at any time they may think proper. The President shall take the chair and constitute the society precisely at ten minutes after six o'clock, and ad- journ at ten, or before f agreed on, The roll shall be called twice each evening by the secre- tary, vis. immediately after the president has taken the chair, and immediately previous to the adjournment of the society. Any junior member, in the city of Philadelphia, or its suburbs, who fails to answer to his name, (except in case of sickness,) shall be fined one eight of a dollar, for each offence. OF OFFICERS. There shall be the following officers of this society, viz. \. a president, two vice-presidents, three secretaries, one treasurer, and two curators. The above officers shall be chosen annually by ballot, on the extraordinary meeting i to be held on the first Wednesday of February. OF THE PRESIDENT. The president shall preside at all meetings, preserve rder, regulate the debates, state and put questions agree 12 ably to the sense and intention of the members. He shaH be compelled to' fine any member acting disorderly, in a sum not exceeding five shillings for each offence. OF VICE-PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president, his duty shall devolve on the vice-presidents, so that they shall preside alternately at meetings; but if neither the president, nor vice-presidents be present, a chairman shall preside, invested with all the privileges and duties of the president. He shall be chosen in the following manner, viz. at the commencement of the first meeting of each session, the society shall immediately proceed to elect a chairman, whose duty it shall be to attend at the first roll call of each meeting of the session, on which he may have been chosen (under the penalty 6f one dol- lar) for the purposes of supplying the deficiencies as above specified. OF SECRETARIES. One of the secretaries (to be chosen from among the ju- nior members) shall attend each meeting of the society, call the roll, and take down the minutes, which he shall read at the next meeting, and (when corrected) copy into a book kept for that purpose. He shall insert the reports of com- mittees at full length, together with all motions, having the name of the proposer and the person who seconds them attached: he shall likewise read all letters and papers that may be communicated to the society, and transcribe into a proper book, such of them as the society may think worthy of being preserved: he is also to deliver 13 a correct statement of all the fines incurred at each meet- ing to the treasurer: he is to announce to the society at the conclusion of each ordinary meeting the subject of the dissertation next in order, together with the name of its author. The name of the Secretary shall always be signed to the minutes. If he is absent at the time for constituting (he Society, he shall be fined one dollar, unless in case of sickness, of which he shall have given due notice by trans- mitting a correct statement of the preceding meeting. The other two Secretaries shall give notice to honorary Members of their election, write and answer letters in be- half of the Society, and in general manage all matters of correspondence. OF THE TREASURER. The Treasurer shall collect all monies arising from the admission and fines of the Members, receive all donations of money that may be made to the Society, and shall pay the same agreeably to their order, certified to him by the President, Vice-President, or Member who was in the chair when such order was made. The Treasurer shall keep a regular account of all monies received and paid by him as aforesaid, and once every year, or oftener if required by the Society, shall render a statement to them of the stock in his hands and the disbursements made by their order; and shall deliver up to his successor the books and all papers in his hands; and for the faithful discharge of his trust, shall, be- fore entering on his office, give bond and security to the President and Vice-Presidents, in double the sum with which they or any two of them shall judge he may probably become entrusted during his said office. n 14 OF CURATORS. The Curators shall take charge of and preserve for the use of the Society, all property of whatever kind it may be, (money excepted), of which the Society shall become pos- sessed, and keep an exact list of the same, together with the names of the repective donors, in a book provided for that purpose, which book shall be laid before the Society as often as called for. The Curators upon entering upon their office shall give such a receipt for every thing committed to thtir care or charge as the Society may direct, and at the ?nd of the term shall deliver up the same to their succes- sors. For the faithful performance of the duty and trust reposed in them, they shall give bond to the President and Vice-Presidents in such sum as they or any two of thenv shall demand. OF MEMBERS AND THEIR ADMISSION. The Society shall consist of Honorary and Junior Mem- bers—every honorary member shall be exempted from the duties of junior members, except attending on committees when appointed, or unless he be chairman: Any junior member having attended the Society the remainder of the season on which he was elected, and a succeeding one, or taken a degree in medicine, shall be considered as an hono* rary member. Any person who has obtained a degree in medicine, or is eminent in the practice of Physic, or any one of the branches of the science of medicine, may be proposed as an honorary member : He shall be proposed on or before the first Satur- day in January, and may be balloted for at any subsequent 15 meeting ; and if elected by two thirds, shall be informed of it by one of the corresponding Secretaries (at the command of the President), by letter accompanied with a certificate from the society. Any person desirous of becoming a junior member of this Society, shall be proposed ; and the subject of his disserta- tion (which shall be connected with medicine) announced: If permitted to read, he shall be examined at an ensuing meeting of the Society : the name of the proposer and of the person who seconds the nomination shall be annexed to the name of the candidate on the minutes. The examination shall be carried on in the following manner :—The candidate, at the request of the President, shall read his Essay to the Society, who shall immediately proceed to examine him upon its merits. The President, as soon as the examination is finished, shall, for the better ascertaining the knowledge of the candidate, propose to him five questions of either an anatomical, practical, or physiolo- gical nature, whose truth shall have been ascertained by full timed experience and observation. In the selection of such questions, the discretionary power shall rest with the person then presiding; the previous disclosure of which shall inca- pacitate from a further continuance in office. In the election or rejection of a candidate, the Society shall regard as well his solutions of the question as the merits of his piece and defence. In the election of a candidate, a majority of two-thirds of the Members present (to be ascertained by ballot) shall be requisite. If admitted he shall deliver his treatise to the Secretary, to be deposited in the hands of the Curators, and shall also pay, previous to his taking his seat, (into the hands of the Treasurer) five dollars, for the use of the So- 16 ciety. When admitted it shall be optional with the Society to enter into a general discussion of his piece. No candi- date, if rejected, shall be permitted to apply for admission till the ensuing session. No candidate shall be admitted after the first Saturday in February. OF DISSERTATIONS. Each junior Member, according to seniority, shall pre- pare and read before the Society, a dissertation on some medical subject, or one connected with medicine, under the penalty of seven shillings and six pence, unless in case of sickness; but this shall not exempt him from bringing forward his piece on the ensuing meeting, or from being subject to a like fine for each succeeding non-compliance: Any honorary Member shall be entitled to the privilege of producing or communicating to the Society, a dissertation on any subject embraced by this Institution; and in order to encourage this practice, the Society will always give such dissertation a preference, both as to the time when it shall be read and (if agreeable to the Member) discussed. At each meeting a dissertation shall be discussed, and another, to be discussed at the ensuing meeting, shall be read by its author. OF EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS. There shall be two extraordinary meetings in each ses- sion, one on the first Wednesday in December, for the sole purpose of altering or amending laws: and the other on the first Wednesday of February, at six o'clock P. M. for the purpose of altering and amending laws and choosing offi- cers. ! 17 No motion whatever, which relates to the alteration of laws, shall, on any account, be discussed, till it shall have been proposed at least one meeting previous to the extraor- dinary meeting. OF COMMITTEES. The mode of appointing Committees shall be as follows, viz : the President shall nominate one gentleman who shall be considered as Chairman, he shall name the second, and so on until the number agreed on be completed. But if the business be of a very extraordinary and important na- ture, any member may move, that the Committee be cho- sen by ballot, which shall accordingly be done. The Chairman of every Committee shall appoint a time for its meeting before he leaves the Society. Committees shall have the power of imposing a fine of one shilling on any of their members who absent themselves from their meet- ings. OF MOTIONS. Any Member may make whatevermotion he thinks will tend to the benefit of the Society ; his proposal or motion must be given to the President in writing; and it shall im- mediately be acted on, unless a majority of the Members wish it to lie over for a week's consideration. In either case it shall be recorded on the minutes of the Society. Every motion shall be carried by a majority of the Mem- bers present, except such as relate to the admission of Members, of candidates to read, the expulsion of Members, or such as may effect-an established law of the Society; in which case two thirds shall be required. 18 OF DONATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS. All communications and donations made to the Society, are to be directed to the President, who shall deposite them in the hands of the proper officers, for the use of the Society. REASONS AND MANNER OF EXPULSION. Any junior Member who neglects to attend the Society for three successive meetings after his admission, and any Member who refuses to pay his fine or fines, or to comply, in any particular, with the laws of the Society, shall be ex- pelled, unless reasons are adduced which shall be deemed satisfactory; but previous to his expulsion, information shall be given to the Society, of such an intention, and this shall be inserted on the minutes. OF RESIGNATIONS. If any Member is desirous of leaving the Society, he shall signify it in a written resignation, which, being read, shall lie over until the eusuing meeting; when by the con- sent of the Society, his name shall be struck off from the roll. But he shall not [be permitted to resign, until he has discharged the arrears due from him to the Society. OF CERTIFICATES. Any Member about to leave the University, who has attended the remainder of the session in which he was elected, may apply for a certificate to the junior Secretary, 19 which shall be given immediately, upon paying for it, pro- vided he be not in arrears to the Society. The following shall be the form, Societas Medica Philadelphiensis, Anno Domini M,DCC,LXXXIX, constituta, Omnibus qui hxc legerint, Salutem. Viro ingenio et ornatissimo socium quem in nu- merum nostrum accepimus, cujus ingenium felicissimum et diligcntia indefessa semper nobis oblectamento fuere, has literas lubentissime donamus, atque eum omnibus Phi losophisc et Medicine cultoribus solicite commendamus In quorum Testimonium sigillum nostrum cum nomine Presidis subscripto prasentibus apponi fecimus. OF DECORUM. No Member of this Society shall be at liberty to speak more than twice on any one point of debate, without having previously obtained special permission for this purpose, nor more than once until all choosing to speak, shall have spoken. No conversation or discussion between members shall be allowed, during the examination of a candidate. No Member shall interrupt the President, or any other Member, while speaking ; every Member shall stand erect when he speaks, and address himself to the President, under the penalty of one shilling for each offence ; which suir: shall be the fine annexed to all laws where none is specified. No Member or Members shall be permitted to sit or stand in the presence of the Society with his, or their head-. covered ; and if any Member or Members shall so offend, he or they shall be fined in a sum not exceeding fifty noi less than twenty-five cents. 20 No Member or Members shall be permitted to retire after thecaUing of hisor their names at the last roll, until the Society shall have been adjourned by the president. And if any Member or Members shall so offend, he or they shall be fined in a sum not exceeding fifty nor less than twenty five cents. A repetition of either one or both of the offences, speci- fied in the two last paragraphs, by any Member or Mem- bers, shall be considered as a dereliction of that respect due the Society, and he or they so offending shall be fined in dou- ble .the sum mentioned above. RULES FOR THE REGULATION OF EACH ORDINARY MEETING. I. The Chairman shall constitute the Society at ten mi- nutes after six o'clock. II. The Secretary shall call the roll and note the absentees. III. The minutes of the preceding meeting shall be read, and if necessary corrected. IV. The candidates shall be introduced and examined. V. The dissertation in order, shall be read and discussed. VI. The dissertation for discussion at the next meeting, shall be I'ead. VII. Committeess shall report. VIII. Motions in order. IX. The names of the candidates who are to read for ad- mission at the next meeting, shall be announced. X. Fines collected. XI. The roll shall be called, and XII. The Society shall be adjourned. THE END. f*W,. Hut. VMZ 3J7 0 c»/ m: n