RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Chicago Medical Society was founded in 1850 to uphold the highest standards in professional conduct, medical education and patient care; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of the remarkable work of the Chicago Medical Society by the Honorable Margaret Laurino, Alderman of the 39th Ward; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Medical Society has been essential to the Chicago community for decades. In the past, the Society worked to combat epidemics of cholera, small pox, typhoid fever and other deadly diseases; and
WHEREAS, Physicians of the Chicago Medical Society improved sanitation by inspecting and investigating pest houses and holding public lectures on health topics; and
WHEREAS, During the "Golden Age of Bacteriology" in the late 19th century, the Chicago Medical Society educated both physicians and lay citizens on important advances; and
WHEREAS, In the early 20th century, the era of preventive medicine, the Chicago Medical Society waged campaigns to pasteurize milk, control venereal disease, report tuberculosis, chlorinate the City's water supply, and abolish the common drinking cup. The common drinking cup was a drinking pail used by all passengers of a train when they needed water, making all users very susceptible to disease; and
WHEREAS, As the 20th century progressed, the Chicago Medical Society advocated to ban cigarette advertisements, to increase the legal age to purchase cigarettes and alcohol, to ban indoor smoking, to post public signs for pregnant women about the dangers of alcohol and to pass Illinois legislation that prevented Drive-thru deliveries. Drive-thru deliveries occurred when new mothers and their babies were forced out of the hospital 24 hours after birth in order to prevent rising insurance costs. Due to a premature departure, both babies and mothers were susceptible to more illnesses; and
WHEREAS, In the second decade of the 21st century, the Chicago Medical Society advanced a state proclamation establishing an annual "CPR and AED Awareness Week" in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, The Society provides training both for medical professionals and everyday citizens. The Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Certification Course provides medical professionals with the necessary tools to sharpen their skills and provide proper services to their patients. The Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification Course provides lay citizens with knowledge and skills that could save someone in an emergency; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Medical Society is as vital as it was in 1850 and it continues to thrive as one of the oldest and largest city professional associations in the United States. The Society's mission to cultivate the art and science of medicine and the sharing of professional experience and enthusiasm remains as strong as ever; and i
WHEREAS, To honor physicians' self-sacrifice, commitment to life-long learning and desire to serve, local communities observe Doctors Day; and
WHEREAS, Doctors Day originated when Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, first set aside a day to honor physicians in 1933 in Winder, Georgia. The thirtieth of March was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the day that anesthesia was first administered to a patient by Dr. Crawford W. Long in 1842; and
WHEREAS, Doctors Day observances remind the public of physicians' remarkable contributions to society; and
WHEREAS, Both the United States House and Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation in 1990 to establish a National Doctors Day. President George H.W. Bush, on the thirtieth of October, 1990, signed a resolution, designating the thirtieth of March, 1991, as National Doctors Day. On the twenty-first of February, 1991, President Bush signed a proclamation encouraging all Americans to observe the day with appropriate programs and activities; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this twenty-eighth day of March, 2018, do hereby applaud the proud history and contributions of the Chicago Medical Society.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the thirtieth of March, 2018, marks the beginning of the annual celebration of Doctors Day in honor of the incredible physicians both in Chicago and around the United States, and to further designate March 30 as Chicago Medical Society Day.
MARGARET LAURINO Alderman, 39th Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the Chicago Medical Society as a token of our gratitude and respect.
