18. Keen, William W. Correspondence concerning Fourth of July deaths and injuries, 11; 19 January 1911

File — Box: 1

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: The committee reports in this collection are part of the records of the Office of the Secretary of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. The reports span the tenures of six secretaries of the College of Physicians: John H. Packard (1862-1877), William G, Porter (1877-1879), Richard A, Cleemann (1879-1885), Isaac Norris, Jr. (1885-1890), Charles W, Dulles (1890-1896), and Thomas R. Neilson (1896- 1914), The reports, spanning 1867 to 1911, were produced by various ad-hoc committees appointed by the Fellows of the College of Physicians to address issues affecting the College and the medical profession during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Many of these committees existed for only one or two months, their purpose being to prepare a public statement containing recommendations about a particular issue;in many cases, the committees prepared only one report before being discharged. The topics addressed in the reports include legislation affecting the medical profession, public health issues, the invasion of communicable diseases, and the selection of suitable memorials for deceased Fellows. Three of the reports (the Report of the Sub-committee of the Committee on Tablets [1885], the Report of the Committee appointed to Collect and Distribute Funds for the Relief of the Members of the Medical Profession who sustained losses by reason of the Floods at Johnstown [1889], and the Report of the Committee to prepare a memorial of the Late Dr. Samuel Lewis [1891]) were originally contained in the same envelope.

Dates

11; 19 January 1911

Extent

From the Collection: .2 Linear feet (1 half document box)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Overview

In his letter of 11 January 1911 to George E. DeSchweinitz, William W. Keen addresses his concerns about the high number of casualties from explosives occurring in Philadelphia during the Fourth of July, Keen recommended that a committee be appointed to help pass legislation that would regulate or prohibit the sale and use of dangerous explosives. The committee was never formed, but on 19 January 1911, Keen himself submitted a resolution recommending that the College of Physicians join with other medical societies to support legislation that would place controls on explosives; his resolution was adopted by the College on 1 February 1911, Filed with the correspondence is Keen's resolution, his statistics on injuries from explosives, and a Report of the Committee on Independence Day Injuries of the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania (3 October 1910).