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THE ACT OF INCORPORATION AND LAWS OF THE Philadelphia Medical Society.

Arranged and Copied by Order of the Society, February 6th, 1793.

EX COLLISIONE SCINTILLA.

PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED BY JOHNSTON & JUSTICE, AT FRANKLIN'S HEAD, No. 41, CHESNUT STREET, 1793.

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THE Act of Incorporation OF THE Philadelphia Medical Society.

WHEREAS by an Act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, passed the 6th day of April, in the year of our Lord one thou­sand seven hundred and ninety-one, entitled, ‘An act to confer on certain associations of the citizens of this Commonwealth, 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, charitable, or for any religious pur­pose, and shall be desirous to acquire and enjoy 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 specifying, the ob­jects, articles, conditions, name, stile, or title, under which they have associated, or mean to associate, and the same to exhibit and present to the Attorney-Ge­neral [Page 4] 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 ap­probation to the Governor of the Commonwealth, in order 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 subscribers 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, containing as is hereafter set forth, the ob­jects, articles, condition, stile 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 say,

ARTICLE I.

The Corporation shall be stiled, "The Philadelphia Medical Society," and shall consist of all the Members of the Association under that name, viz.

  • George Munro, M. D.
  • John Davis,
  • Isaac Catherill,
  • Solomon Bush,
  • Andrew Ross, M. D.
  • James Straton,
  • James Hutchinson, M. D.
  • Samuel M. Shoot,
  • John Laws, M. B.
  • William Gardiner, M. B.
  • Baynard Wilson,
  • Theophilus Elmer, M. B.
  • Isaac Auld,
  • Joseph Hirst,
  • James Vanmeter,
  • Edward Rumsey,
  • William Wardlaw,
  • Jonathan Maris,
  • Thomas R. Harris, M. B.
  • Wm. R. Couzens, M. D.
  • George Pfeiffer, M. D.
  • James Woodhouse, M. D.
  • Moses Sheftall,
  • Charles Tilden, M. B.
  • William Whiteman,
  • Joseph P. Minnick,
  • [Page 5] William Weston,
  • William Currie,
  • William Shippen, M. D.
  • Adam Kuhn, M. D.
  • Casper Wistar, M. D.
  • Thomas T. Tucker, M. D.
  • James G. Brehon,
  • William Wilson,
  • S. Hosmer,
  • Nathan Dorsey,
  • Tucker Harris, M. D.
  • David Ramsay, M. D.
  • James Lynak, M. D.
  • Isaac Chanlor, M. D.
  • Alexander Baron, M. D.
  • William Stokes, A. B.
  • Henry Colesbury, M. D.
  • Richard Dale,
  • James Craig,
  • James Carter,
  • Rob. G. Davidson, A. M.
  • William Boys, A. M.
  • John Watkins,
  • James M'Farland,
  • Thomas Fossitt,
  • Edward Cutbush,
  • Adam Seybert,
  • George Thompson,
  • Samuel Brown,
  • William Leigh,
  • Philip S. Matthews,
  • Matthias E. Sawyer,
  • Richard Bradford,
  • Peter Horlbeck,
  • Stephen De Hart,
  • William Bache, A. B.
  • Henry Haywood,
  • Christopher Heydrick,
  • George Teackle,
  • Artemas Seagrave.

And such other members 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 President, two Vice-Presidents, three Secretaries, one Treasurer, and two Curators, which Officers shall be chosen at such times, in such manner, and for such periods, respectively, 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 Saturday of November, and from that time shall continue to meet, at the same [Page 6] hour, and on the same day in each week, until the last Saturday of the ensuing 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 pur­poses of making, or altering, and amending the Bye Laws of the Society, and of electing the Officers thereof.

ARTICLE IV.

That the said Corporation and their successors, by the name, stile, 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 whatsoever; they shall have power to make, have, and use one common seal, with such device and inscription as they 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, stile 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 dispose thereof in any law­ful manner for the use of the Corporation: Provided always, That the clear yearly value of the estate, real, personal, or mixed, of the said Corporation, and the interest of money by them lent, shall not exceed the sum of Five Hundred Pounds.

[Page 7] I have perused and examined the preceding Instru­ment, and hereby certify, that I am of opinion, that the Objects, Articles, and Conditions therein set forth and contained, are lawful.

JARED INGERSOLL, Attorney-General.
April 6th, 1792.

We the Justices of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth 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 Instrument 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 Ingersoll, Esquire, Attorney-General of the said 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 MKEAN,
  • EDWARD SHIPPEN,
  • JASPER YEATES,
  • WILLIAM BRADFORD.
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In the Name, and by the Authority of the Com­monwealth of Pennsylvania. THOMAS MIFFLIN, Governor of the said Commonwealth, To MATTHEW IRVIN, Esquire, 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 Commonwealth, and by Thomas M'Kean, Esquire, Chief-Justice, and Edward Shippen, Jasper Yeates, and William Bradford, Esquires, Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 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 Conditions therein set forth and contained, are lawful. NOW KNOW YOU, That, in pur­suance of the Act of the General 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 inrol the same, at the ex­pence 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, Stile, 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 sixteenth.

By the Governor, A. I. DALLAS, Secretary.

Inroled in the Rolls Office for the State of Penn­sylvania, in Law Book No. 4, Page 465, &c. Wit­ness my hand and seal of office, the second day of June, 1792.

MATTHEW IRVIN.
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THE LAWS OF THE Philadelphia Medical Society.

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.

The President shall take the chair, and constitute the Society precisely at ten minutes after six o'clock, and adjourn at ten, or before, if agreed on.

The Roll shall be called twice each evening by the Secretary, viz. immediately after the President has taken the chair, and immediately previous to the ad­journment of the Society, any Junior Member resid­ing in the city of Philadelphia, who fails to answer to his name, shall be fined one eighth of a dollar for each failure.

Of Officers.

There shall be the following Officers of this So­ciety, viz. a President, two Vice-Presidents, three Secretaries, one Treasurer, and two Curators.

[Page 10] The above Officers shall be chosen annually by bal­lot, on the extraordinary meeting to be held on the first Wednesday of February.

Of the President.

The President is to preside at all meetings, to preserve order, to regulate the debates, and to state and put questions agreeably to the sense and inten­tion of the Members. He shall also have power to fine any Member who refuses to obey him, 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 one of the Vice-Presidents be present, the Members met shall appoint one of their own bo­dy to take the chair pro tempore.

Of the Secretaries.

One of the Secretaries (to be chosen from among the Junior Members) shall attend each meeting of the Society, take down the minutes, which he shall read at the next meeting and (when corrected) shall copy the same in a book kept for that purpose: he shall likewise read all letters and papers that may be com­municated to the Society, and transcribe in a proper book such of them as the Society may think worthy of being preserved. The other two Secretaries shall give notice to Honorary Members of their election, and write and answer letters in behalf of the Society, and, in general, manage all matters of correspon­dence.

Treasurer.

The Treasurer shall collect all monies arising from the admission or fines of the Members, and shall re­ceive all donations of money that may be made to the [Page 11] Society, and shall pay the same agreeably to their or­ders, 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, he 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 belonging to them, together with the balance of cash in his hands; and for the faithful discharge of his trust, he shall, before he enters on his office, give bond and security to the President and Vice-Presidents in double the sum, which they or any two of them shall judge, he may probably become entrusted with during his said office.

Curators.

The Curators shall take charge of and preserve, for the use of the Society, all property of whatsoever kind it may be (money excepted) which the Society shall become possessed of, and keep an exact list of the same, together with the names of the respective donors, in a book provided for that purpose, which book shall be laid before the Society as often as cal­led for. The Curators on entering upon their office shall give such a receipt for every thing committed to their care or charge, as the Society may direct, and at the end of the term shall deliver up the same to their successors. For the faithful performance of the duty and trust reposed in them, they shall give bond to the President and Vice-President in such a sum as they or any two of them shall demand.

Of Members, and their Admission.

The Society shall consist of Honorary and Junior Members, the former to be exempted from all the duties of the latter, except that of attending on Com­mittees when appointed. Any Junior Member hav­ing [Page 12] attended the Society two seasons, or taken a De­gree in Medicine, shall be considered as an Honorary Member.

Any person who has obtained a Degree in Medi­cine, or is eminent in the practice of Physic, may be proposed as an Honorary Member; at the ensuing meeting he shall be balloted for, and if elected, he shall be informed of it by letter, accompanied with a Certificate of the Society.

Any person desirous of becoming a Junior Mem­ber of this Society, may be proposed; and if permit­ted to read, he shall write a Thesis on some Medi­cal Subject, or any subject connected with Medicine, and present it at the next meeting of the Society, who shall examine him not exceeding the space of one hour and a half, on the merits of his Thesis, and de­termine by ballot his admission or rejection—if admit­ted, he shall deilver his dissertation to the Secretary to be deposited in the hands of the Curators; and shall also pay into the hands of the Treasurer fifteen shil­lings, for the use of the Society. No conversation or discussion between Members shall be allowed dur­ing the examination of a Candidate.

It shall not be lawful to admit as a Junior Mem­ber of this Society any such Member of the Ameri­can Medical Society, nor shall any Junior Member of this Society under the penalty of twenty dollars, be proposed as a Member to the said American Me­dical Society.

Nor shall any Member be admitted after the first Saturday in January.

Of Dissertations.

Each Member according to seniority, shall prepare 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: but this shall not exempt him from bringing for­ward his piece on the ensuing meeting.

At each meeting a Dissertation shall be discussed, and another to be discussed at the ensuing meeting, shall be read by its author.

Every author who may be absent for more than [Page 13] five minutes during the discussion of his piece, shall be fined two shillings and six-pence, and if absent the whole night, shall forfeit five shillings, besides the usual fines for non-attendance.

On the first ordinary meeting in February, each Member under the penalty of three shillings and nine pence, shall deliver to the President, the subject on which he proposes to write the ensuing winter, and if two or more should choose the same subject, the Senior Member shall retain his choice, and the other make a new one by the ensuing meeting.

Of Extraordinary Meetings.

There shall be two Extraordinary Meetings in each session, 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 Officers.

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 nature, any Mem­ber may move that the Committee be chosen 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 meetings.

Of Motions.

Any Member may make whatever Motion he thinks will tend to the benefit of the Society; his proposal or Motion must be given to the President in writing, [Page 14] seconded by another Member, and it shall be imme­diately voted or balloted for, unless five of the Mem­bers wish it to lie over for a week's consideration. In either case it shall be recorded in the Minutes of the Society.

Every Motion shall be carried by a majority of the Members present, except such as relate to the ad­mission of Members, of candidates to read, to the expulsion of Members, or such as may affect an esta­blished Law of the Society; in which cases two thirds shall be required.

Of Decorum.

No Member shall interrupt the President, or any other Member while speaking; every Member shall stand erect when he speaks, and address himself un­covered to the President, under the penalty of one shilling for each offence; which sum shall be the fine annexed to all Laws where none is specified.

Of Donations & Communications.

All Communications and Donations made to the Society, are to be directed to the President, who is to dispose of them into the hands of the proper Of­ficers, for the use of the Society.

Reasons and Manner of Expulsion.

Any Member who refuses to pay his fine or fines, or to comply in any particular with the Laws of the Society, shall be expelled; but previous to his expul­sion on this account, information shall be given to the Society of such an intention, and this shall be in­serted and stand in the minutes one week, after which he shall be expelled, and the person thus ex­pelled loses all his privileges as a Member, and the word expelled shall be written opposite to his name in the Law Book.

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Of Certificates.

Any Member about to leave the University, may apply for a Certificate, which petition shall be gran­ted immediately. Each Member on abtaining a Diploma, shall pay seven shillings and six-pence.

The following form may be granted.

Societas Medica Philadelphiensis
Anno Domini M.DCC. LXXXIX
Constituta
Omnibus qui haec legerent
Salutem

Viro ingenuo & ornatissimo [...] socium [...] quem in numerum nostrum accepimus, cujus ingenium felicissimum et deligentia indefessa semper nobis ob­lectamento fuere, has literas lubentissime donamus, at que eum omnibus Philosophiae et Medicinae Cultori­bus solicite commendamus. In quorum Testimonium sigillum nostrum cum nomine Presidis subscripto praesentibus apponi fecimus.

List of Members belonging to the Philadelphia Me­dical Society.

HONORARY MEMBERS.
  • James Hutchinson, M. D. Professor of Chemistry.
  • Whilliam Shippen, M. D. Professor of Anatomy, Surgery and Midwifery.
  • Casper Wister, M. D. Adjunct Professor of Anato­my, Surgery and Midwifery.
  • Adam Kuhn, M. D. Professor of the Practice of Medicine.
  • Benjamin Rush, M. D. Professor of Institutes and Clinical Medicine.
  • Samuel P. Griffitts, Professor of Materia Medicae.
  • [Page 16] George Munro, M. D.
  • Andrew Ross, M. D.
  • William Currie,
  • Thomas T. Tucker, M. D.
  • Tucker Harris, M. D.
  • David Ramsay, M. D.
  • James Lynah, M. D.
  • Isaac Chanler, M. D.
  • Alexander Baron, M. D.
  • John Laws, M. B.
  • William Gardiner, M. B.
  • Theophilus Elmer, M. B.
  • Thomas R. Harris, M. B.
  • Wm. R. Couzens, M. D.
  • George Pfeiffer, M. D.
  • James Woodhouse, M. D.
  • Henry Colesbury, M. D.
  • Charles Tilden, M. B.
  • Moses Sheftall,
  • William Whiteman,
  • Joseph P. Minnick,
  • William Weston,
  • Isaac Auld,
  • Baynard Wilson,
  • Samuel M. Shoot,
  • James Straton,
  • Solomon Bush,
  • Isaac Catherill,
  • John Davis,
  • James G. Brehon,
  • William Wilson,
  • S. Hosmer,
  • Nathan Dorsey,
  • Jonathan Maris,
  • William Wardlaw,
  • Edward Rumsey,
  • James Vanmeter,
  • Joseph Hirst,
  • William Stokes, A. B.
  • Richard Dale,
  • James Craig,
  • James Carter,
  • Rob. G. Davidson, A. M.
  • William Boys, A. M.
  • John Watkins,
  • James M'Farland,
  • Thomas Fossitt,
  • Edward Cutbush,
  • Adam Seybert,
  • George Thompson,
  • Samuel Brown,
  • William Leigh,
  • Philip S. Matthews,
  • Matthias E. Sawyer,
  • Richard Bradford,
  • Peter Horlbeck,
  • Stephen De Hart,
  • William Bache, A. B.
  • Henry Haywood,
  • Christopher Heydrick,
  • George Teackle,
  • Artemas Seagrave.
JUNIOR MEMBERS, admitted 1792-3.
  • W. J. Doble,
  • Henry Rose,
  • John Smith,
  • Edward Fisher,
  • Thomas Drysdale,
  • John J. Long,
  • Samuel M'Culloh, A. M.
  • Charles Caldwell,
  • Charles S. Waugh,
  • Ashton Alexander,
  • Louis Marshall,
  • Joseph Grey,
  • James Brisben,
  • Richard G. Harris,
  • George Williamson,
  • William Wishart,
  • Samuel Chilton,
  • Burgess Ball,
  • Charles Carter,
  • John Willis,

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