He

In the international congresses he was an acknowledged leader, and was largely instrumental in their success. was President of the phenomenally successful convention held at Atlantic City, 1891.

That the American Institute of Homoeopathy owes its present commanding position to Dr. Talbot more than to any one who has ever been enrolled in its membership all will concede. He labored for its advancement early and late, and year following year, for nearly half a century. He guarded it in its days of weakness, and proudly rejoiced in its maturing strength and growing influence.

If for naught else than his devotion to the American Institute, his memory should descend to latest generations as one who dedicated his life to the advancement of his beloved calling and to the service of his fellow men.

Can it be possible that he will no more go in and out among us? Then must precious memories be our heritage. He is not with us, but of a truth, "His works do follow him."

His beautiful life and nobility of character, his devotion to the true and the good, his gentle sinking to rest at the close of day, suggests to us the sun at its going down, leaving the sky all aglow with the reflection of its glory-sure prophecy of a more glorious to-morrow.

To have known him and his great manly heart was the privilege of a life. He called me his friend, and I loved him.

Address of John L. Coffin, M.D.

Character in its fullest development, permeated by an individuality rich in conscious strength and filled with love for its fellow man, always commands the respect and admiration of mankind, and therefore it is that we are gathered together in memoriam in memory of a man and a physician. Of a man who, sustained by an unfaltering trust in God, rounded out, to within a few months, the allotted span of man's life;

of a physician who for forty-five years gave himself, body and soul, to the service of suffering humanity and to the cause he so thoroughly loved.

It is not within my province, even if it were within my ability, to try to form any just estimate of the character whom we honor to-night. Rightly and justly to do this is hardly possible at this time, for to fairly estimate the value and influence of a man's life upon the time in which he lives, that life should not be viewed at too short range. Like a beautiful picture or a fair landscape, it should be seen from a sufficient distance to merge any distracting details into one grand harmonious whole of beauty. We come together not to examine motives, to criticise actions, to measure successes, but to pay to the memory of our friend and co-worker a loving tribute of respect, of honor, of affection.

In behalf of the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Medical Society, for which I speak, I cannot do better than to show the great debt we owe our honored associate by a brief résumé of the work done by him for and amongst us.

On February 16, 1841, five physicians, brave men, having the courage of their convictions - Drs. Samuel Gregg, Josiah Foster Flagg, Charles Wild, John P. Spooner, William Cutler, and Luther Clark - having "faith in the future of the therapeutic law whose guidance they had adopted," formed a society known as the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Fraternity. In 1851, ten years after its birth, it had thirty-three members and the name was changed to the present one of the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Medical Society. On May 17, 1853, Dr. I. T. Talbot was elected a member. In the following September he was elected Assistant Secretary. December 13 he reported a case. January 10, 1854, he was elected Secretary and Treasurer. The next March, with four others, only one of whom survives him, he was appointed on a committee to select two or more drugs for proving by the society. April 11, 1855, he resigned the Secretaryship to go to Europe. On October 23, 1855, he read a paper entitled "On the Establishment of a Public Hospital and Dispensary," in which he speaks of the progress towards.

the establishment of a hospital, the length of time it must take to raise the funds and establish the same, and then showed that meanwhile something must be done by homoopathy and that something should be the establishment of a free dispensary. He shows the time to be especially propitious. The objections he forestalls by answering them before they are made. He arouses the enthusiasm of the society both by somewhat caustic criticisms of their existing lethargy and by promising undeniable success in the scheme, and thereby a widespread knowledge of homoeopathy and its results among the everyday people. Finally he concludes by presenting a plan perfected even to small details for the practical establishment and working of the dispensary. Thus in less than three years after becoming a member of the society, he presents this address, in which he shows thus early that remarkable sagacity and political acumen which enabled him to see the ripeness of an occasion and to take advantage of it. It is almost superfluous to say that the society appointed a committee of which he was chairman, with full powers to act in the matter of a public homoeopathic dispensary. January 15, 1856, he was re-elected Secretary and Treasurer. In June, 1856, the Massachusetts Homœopathic Medical Society was incorporated under the laws of the State, Dr. Talbot's name appearing as among the charter members. He had then been a member three years and had missed but one meeting, except during the few months he was abroad.

June 25, 1856, on the first meeting of the incorporated society he was appointed chairman of the committee to draft by-laws and also substitute orator for the ensuing year. In 1857 he was on the committee on materia medica. May 5, 1857, he presented a paper on the "History and Uses of Some New Surgical Instruments." In 1859 he was elected substitute orator and in 1860 orator. From 1861 to 1866 inclusive he was Recording Secretary of the society. April 10, 1861, he delivered the annual address on homœopathy. October 8, 1862, he read a most valuable paper on "Tracheotomy in Croup" with a report of five cases, in which he says

in reporting the first case, that it was the first successful case performed by the Trousseau method in this country.

I have thus minutely sketched the work done in this society during the first ten years of his membership to show that in the very beginning of his professional career he showed remarkable aptitude and ability and willingness for constant, laborious, and valuable work. Interesting as it would be to follow thus minutely his course throughout his whole society life, time forbids and I can only mention a few of the more salient features.

In 1866 he was elected Vice-President, and in 1867, President. In the presidential address of that year he made a most urgent appeal for the proving of drugs and the more thorough education of the young physician. In 1868, as chairman of the Bureau of Surgery, he strongly advocated conservatism in surgery and mentions carbolic acid as a new and valuable agent.

In 1871, in the report of a committee to present a memorial to the Governor concerning the refusal of the Surgeon General, William J. Dale, to approve the appointment of Dr. Henry P. Shattuck, M.D., as medical director of the First Massachusetts Brigade on account of his homoeopathic propensities, Dr. Talbot testified that the Surgeon General told him that if he, Dr. Talbot, would "ignore homoeopathygive it up entirely, he would approve of his appointment to any position in the army." It is needless to say that he was not appointed at that price.

In 1871 he was a member of the committee to draft resolutions of sympathy and solicit aid for professional brethren suffering from the Chicago fire.

At a special meeting, called February 15, 1872, to hear the report of the committee on legislation in reference to the action of the Massachusetts Medical Society in expelling those members believing in the homoeopathic law, he made a most stirring speech, the beginning of which I cannot refrain from quoting. He says: "It is not homoeopathic physicians merely that are concerned, but it is the liberty of the whole medical profession - not the question whether one man cures

one patient to my ten or ten to my one, but whether he has a right to cure at all." With remarkable penetration he foresaw that, though nominally a blow aimed at some sixty physicians, it was in reality a thrust at the very liberty of the people.

On October 9, 1872, Dr. Talbot presented a report for the committee concerning the need of a medical college, to the effect that a medical school in New England was demanded "in which physicians may be educated in the principles and practice of homoeopathy as well as in the collateral branches of medical science." The report resulted in the appointment of a committee of five, including Dr. Talbot, with full powers. On April 9, 1873, Dr. Talbot for the committee reported that they had accepted the offer of Boston University to receive the college as one of its departments, with the prospect of acquiring the property of the New England Female College, for $42,000; $30,000 of which had already been raised. On April 15, 1874, he reports that the college is an entire success thus far, both in the number and character of its students.

Let me ask you to stop for one moment, and realize what this means. In six months from the time the subject of the establishment of a medical college was definitely considered, a committee of five men made an alliance with an already powerful university, and raised three quarters of the money sufficient to secure the necessary property. One year from that time the college was equipped and a success. There were five men on that committee, but those who were in the midst of affairs in those stirring times know, that the moving spirit which animated and directed and encouraged and upheld that committee and made this grand result possible, was the spirit to whom we pay a loving tribute of honor to-night,

In similar vein could I speak, did time permit, of his part in the establishment of the Massachusetts Homœopathic Hospital, the various dispensaries and the hospital for the insane at Westboro. Among many other labors which could with interest be mentioned are resolutions regarding homoeopathy in the army and navy in 1884, the report of the committee on