Luncheon to British Medical Association

The Luncheon was held in the. banqueting hall of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, and was attended by about two hundred gentlemen. The President of the Empire Club, Mr. James P. Murray, was in the chair. The keynote of the occasion was"Canada and a United Empire," and when, after the company had enjoyed the repast, the Chairman proposed the health of His Majesty King Edward VII., a most loyal and hearty response was given. Letters of regret at being unable to attend were sent by Lieutenant-Governor Mortimer Clark, by representatives of the Legislature and by Mayor Coatsworth. Mr. W. K. George proposed the health of the guests. He stated that no hospitality could mark the visit of the British Medical Association to compare in any way with the reception accorded to that part of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, which had the honour of being in the Old Land last year. He was a great believer in the effectiveness of such inter-imperial visits to strengthen the binding ties of kinship." We know," said Mr. George, "that Canada has within her confines every, element necessary to the making of a mighty nation, and we feel honoured at the presence' of men who stand in the very forefront of their profession, whose names are known throughout the length and breadth of civilization, and who have placed all mankind under a debt of gratitude."

Sir William Broadbent was very heartily received. The occasion appealed to him, he said, as being entitled to more than mere after-luncheon conventionalities. One could only feel and talk of his own personal impressions when coming to a more intimate knowledge of the unbounded resources of a country such as Canada, and his first impression was one of profound solemnity. "We hope and trust," said he, "that the connection between Canada and the Mother Country will continue, that it will become closer and stronger. Imperialist as I am, I prefer the term 'Mother Country' to that of 'Empire,' and it is this relation which one seeks to see continued. With her great agricultural wealth and her mineral resources of every kind, the future of Canada is sure. Canada is bound to go on and prosper, and what we hope is that the Mother Country, in its old age, will continue to have the support of her strongest son. There are people who complain that Canada does not do its part in the common defence, but, personally, I think that the money of Canada can at present be better employed in developing the country. I think that is the better son who devotes himself to his father's business than the one who presents him with a gold watch which he does not want. Whether we recognize it or not, we are making history, and our legislators derive their inspiration from the people about them, but neither legislators nor we can foretell the effects of politics or of those elements and events which contribute to national destiny. The only thing to do is to take as our guide the sense of duty. If we do what we believe to be right, we are doing what will ultimately be best for our great Empire."

Sir Thomas Barlow was Greeted enthusiastically. He joined with his friend and chief, Sir William Broadbent, in expressing appreciation of the reception and of the manifestation by which was enthusiastically shown the desire to maintain the integrity of the Empire. He did not propose to talk politics, for though doctors bad many roles to play, the one which they played least well was that of politics. He preferred rather to speak of the young Canadian medical men, who, during the last quarter of a century, had been going to the Old Country, and whom he had found it a pleasure to meet. The English people, it was well known, were conservative, and when a volatile person appeared in their midst looking for the latest tips in the medical sciences, paying no great regard to serious phases, the more conservative were not aroused to any unusual concern."But about the time I mention," said Sir Thomas Barlow,"we began to find among the young men who came to our clinics a different person-a quiet, reticent young man who listened to what was said and who humbly set himself to the study of cases as they were placed before him, presently showing that he did know a great deal more than he had ever stated. He showed himself to be of the same flesh and blood as we were, in the way he was taught, the way he took up new ideas and by the patience and tenacity with which he applied himself to his work. When we came to enquire of these young men we found they were mostly from McGill and Toronto." Sir Thomas added that one of the greatest pleasures of his present visit to Canada was the renewal of friendships with many of these young men who were now occupying proud positions in their native land.

"We have asked ourselves at various times," said he, "What can we do for our kith and kin in our own land, and these young men who have joined us in careful and quiet study have told us that they got what they wanted, having had free access to all that we had, and taken their places in examinations along with our own students. I am telling the honest truth when I say that, with the fullest desire to make things easy, we have come to the conclusion that we can do no better than to let them have fair play along with our fellow citizens, and trust to the rest. There are many links that bind Canada to the Mother Country, but I think there is one link not to be despised-the link uniting medical men upon the two sides of the water."

Dr. George Cooper Franklin, former President of the Association, in a brief speech expressed his enjoyment of the cordial hospitality in which he had been invited to participate in his official capacity as an ex-President. Referring to the great extent of the Association, he stated that it had 70 branches, 20,000 members, and between $40,000 and $50,000 yearly income. It was very important that men at the head of such an organization should be men of broad and liberal views, and in this connection he congratulated them upon having Dr. R. A. Reeve as their new President. Dr. Franklin said that he felt himself quite overwhelmed by the warmth of the reception in Toronto, and it was with keen pleasure that he found himself enjoying the hospitality of his old friend and associate, Dr. -Jukes Johnson."We are anxious," concluded Dr. Franklin, "that the cordiality and friendship existing between Canada and the Mother Country may ever be maintained, and, in the words of the poet Longfellow: ' We are not to look back regretfully on the past, which comes not again, but to wisely improve the present, in order that we may go forth to the shadowy future without fear and with a manly heart.'"

Prof. C. S. Sherrington, of Liverpool, stated that he saw many changes and much to learn on this his second visit to Toronto, and he was more impressed than ever by those evidences which assured him that Canada was indeed an enormous potentiality. Referring to University development in England, he stated that no less than four new Universities had been founded during the last ten years, and an important feature, known as fellowships, had been introduced as the result of financial support given by wealthy citizens. These fellowships were available, not so much to students as to those who, having passed the University, desired to further pursue some subject as a specialty or by way of further development. "It would, in my opinion," said the speaker, "be a grand opportunity to some of our students if they could come over to Toronto or some other seat of learning in Canada, and pass a year or two years. I imagine you would find many of them starting careers here. There are opportunities possessed by your Universities which ours have not, such as the extensive study of water power, or hydrodynamics. University reciprocity, I feel, is in the air, and will have as its much-to-be-desired result, an interchange, not of goods, but of intellect and experience."

The Chairman expressed, on behalf of the Empire Club, appreciation of the kindness of the R. C. Y. C. in Contributing in so great measure to the entertainment of the distinguished guests of the Empire Club.

Dr. A. A. Macdonald, Commodore of the Yacht Club, responded, saying that they considered no thanks necessary since they had regarded the opportunity to extend hospitality as a pleasure and a privilege. The National Anthem brought the affair to a close.