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Vires Vitales Sustinere.

National Eclectic Medical Association.

CONSTITUTION,

BY-LAWS AND STANDING RESOLUTIONS.

PREAMBLE.

WHEREAS, the right of doing good transcends all statutory and other enactments, and the profession of healing is therefore radically a sacred one, to be exercised by any and every person duly qualified by natural endowments and acquired skill and knowledge; and

Whereas, the practice of medicine has become conformed to the genius of the nineteenth century, and is no more the secret art of a sacerdotal caste or privileged order, to be hedged in by penal laws, ethical codes, or other instruments of barbarism and oppression, but has become the lawful vocation of citizens, like other callings; and

Whereas, the Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitutions of the several States, and the laws enacted in conformity with them, assure and protect this right of medical practice, and all legislation, political favor, or other discrimination tending to restrict or contravene the right, especially for the purpose of fostering any school of practice under the pretext of regularity or superior scientific knowledge, is a violation of the spirit if not of the express provisions of those instruments, and ought to be discountenanced, disregarded, opposed and resisted as a departure from the principles of republican government, as well as of natural right; and

Whereas, the Reformed practitioners of medicine have the same and every right to the encouragement and protection of government as physicians of other schools, and all good citizens; and

Whereas, the Legislature of the State of New York did, for the promotion of science and the establishment of an improved practice of medicine, enact the following Act of Incorporation:

AN ACT to incorporate the NATIONAL ECLECTIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION-Passed March 27, 1871.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows;

SEC. 1. John Wesley Johnson, Stephen H. Potter, J. S. Cowdrey, William Molesworth, R. A. Gunn, J. C. Hurlbert, James M. Comins, Benjamin J. Stow, Robert S. Newton, William Jones, Herod D. Garrison, J. M. Harding, S. B. Munn, Dennis E. Smith, Horatio E. Firth, and those associated with them, are hereby constituted a corporation, under the name of "THE NATIONAL ECLECTIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION," with the full rights and powers for the purposes of this act of natural persons.

SEC. 2. The object of this corporation shall be to maintain organized co-operation between physicians, for the purpose of promoting the art and science of medicine and surgery, and the dissemination of beneficial knowledge and an improved practice of medicine.

SEC. 3. The business of said corporation shall be managed by its Executive Committee, consisting of its President, Secretary, Treasurer, and such other officers as the Association shall designate; and elections shall be held annually, as provided by the Constitution. All persons so elected shall hold office for the term of one year, and until their successors are chosen. The persons elected in September last, as officers of said corporation, shall hold office till such election of successors. At all meetings of said Association, fifteen members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

SEC. 4. The said corporation shall be subject to the provisions of title third, chapter eighteen, of the first part of the Revised Statutes, and to the general laws for the government of scientific and benevolent associations, so far as the same shall be applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act. And

Whereas, this Association has been duly organized in accordance with the provisions and purposes of the aforesaid statute;

We, the members of the Eclectic School of Medicine, subscribing in good faith to the doctrines and principles of Reformed Medicine, as formulated and announced from time to time, and duly proclaimed, do now adopt the following

CONSTITUTION.

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ARTICLE I.

This Society shall be known by the name of the NATIONAL ECLECTIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

ARTICLE II.—OBJECTS.

The object of this Association shall be to maintain organized co-operation between physicians, for the purpose of promoting the art and science of Medicine and Surgery, and the dissemination of beneficial knowledge and an improved practice of medicine.

ARTICLE III.-MEMBERSHIP.

This Association shall consist of such permanent members as duly become such and conform to the requirements and .regulations; also of delegates appointed by Local and State Associations in sympathy with this Association and its objects. The permanent members shall have full power and acknowledgment as such while acting in co-operation with this Association; and delegates shall have and exercise the powers and privileges of members, subject to the by-laws and other regulations, for the period of one year.

ARTICLE IV.-OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

The officers of this Association shall consist of a President, three Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and Treasurer, who shall severally exercise the powers and duties assigned to such officers by the usage of parliamentary and other public bodies. The President, Secretary and Treasurer shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Association for the transaction of all business, when the Association is not in session, which has not been delegated to standing or other committees. The seal of the Association, whenever practicable, shall be placed upon all official papers.

ARTICLE V.-COMMITTEES ON STATUS.

It shall be the duty of the President to appoint committees of persons in every State having in it a State Eclectic Medical

Society, to attend the meetings of the Eclectic Medical Societies of the States in which they respectively reside, and to report in writing, at the annual meetings of this Association, the prosperity, membership and condition of such Societies, and such facts in regard to the welfare and prospects of Reformed Medicine in the States as shall appear to them of importance. These reports, or a proper abstract of them, shall be included in the published Transactions of this Association.

ARTICLE VI.-REPORTS AND ESSAYS.

The President, within three months from the holding of the annual meeting, shall designate members to prepare papers or reports to be submitted at the annual meeting next ensuing. Every member of this Association shall, at his earliest convenience, communicate to the Association or its Secretary all interesting cases, improvements, discoveries and suggestions as he shall consider useful, and prepare papers and essays on topics connected with medical science or practice; which may, whenever judged of sufficient importance, be published with the Transactions.

ARTICLE VII.—MEETINGS.

The annual meeting of this Association shall be held, when not otherwise ordered, at such place as the Executive Committee shall designate, on the third Wednesday of June; but the Association shall, at any meeting, in such manner as it may provide, have full authority to fix the time and place of such meeting; and the hour of assemblage, when not otherwise directed, shall be ten o'clock in the morning. The period of holding the annnal meetings shall be three days.

ARTICLE VIII.-AMENDMENTS.

Amendments may be made to the Preamble, Constitution or By-Laws at any regular meeting, notice having been given at a previous meeting, by the concurring vote of two-thirds of the members present, provided that twenty votes shall be duly recorded in favor of the same; but by unanimous consent, amendments or alterations may be made at the same meeting at which they are offered.

BY-LAWS.

ARTICLE I.-MEMBERSHIP.

SEC. 1. This Association may receive as permanent members such persons, graduates of regularly-organized medical colleges, holding legitimate diplomas, and physicians who have been engaged in reputable practice for fifteen years, as are duly recommended by the local or State Eclectic Medical Society to which they belong, provided that they are or have served as delegates to this Association.

SEC. 2. Every State Medical Society in sympathy with this Association and its purposes, is authorized to appoint fifteen delegates annually, and every local or district society two delegates, and every medical college likewise two delegates.

ARTICLE II.—FEES AND DUES.

SEC. 1. Every person duly elected as a permanent member of this Association shall complete such membership by paying an initiation fee of seven dollars. He shall also report his name and residence annually, to the Secretary, within one month from the time of the annual meeting, and shall likewise, after the first year, pay an annual due of three dollars. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer, on the second day of the annual meeting, and also on the day ensuing, to report the name of every member in arrears for dues, in open session, for action of this Association.

SEC. 2. Delegates not members, upon their reception by the Association, shall pay into the treasury the sum of five dollars, which shall be credited on their initiation fee in case that they shall also become permanent members at the same session of this Association; and they shall be entitled to receive a printed volume of the publications of the Association.

SEC. 3. Each permanent member, upon signing the roll, shall be entitled to receive a certificate of membership, duly authenticated by the seal of the Association and the signatures of the President and Secretary. He shall also, upon payment of the annual due, be entitled to a volume of the

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