Events in the Association After 1840

To cover, in the brief time allotted, almost a century of the history of the New Haven County Medical Society during that period in which medicine, in general, made far greater progress than in any previous century, permits mention of but a few of the outstanding events and personalities of this period. Since, with the founding of the Connecticut State Medical Society in 1792, the County Society became an integral part of the State Society, it is impossible to separate entirely the activities of the two. In 1840, the New Haven County Medical Society was evidently in an extremely strong and flourishing condition, and its Chairman was no less a person than Dr. Jonathan Knight, then in the prime of his life and mental vigor. Another physician of national reputation , who was very active in its affairs at this time, was Dr. Eli Ives also at the height of his career. Until 1883, the meetings were regularly held in New Haven, as a rule, in the Tontine Hotel until 1854, when for twelve consecutive years they were held at the Medical College. The first meeting held outside of New Haven was at the Scoville House, in Waterbury; in 1884 a meeting was held at the Winthrop House in Meriden and the following year at the Dayton House in Ansonia. From this time on meetings were held with increasing frequency in other cities of the County, although for a number of years the majority of the meetings were held in New Haven at the Medical College. Beginning with 1893, some of the sessions were held in the New Haven House, located upon the site where the Hotel Taft now stands, and for a period beginning with 1894 many of them were held in the chapel of the New Haven Hospital and later in the rooms of the New Haven Medical Association. In accordance with the by-laws enacted in 1826 and still in effect in 1840, two meetings were held yearly, the annual meeting being in the spring and the semi-annual meeting "on the Tuesday before the full moon in October." It was required that the clerk, before the opening of any annual meeting, read "the act to incorporate the County Medical Society and the by-laws of the Connecticut Medical Society as well as the by-laws of the County Society or as