Læknablaðið - 01.08.1971, Qupperneq 53

LÆKNABLAÐIÐ
153
of Dr. Jónas Jónassen, State Physician. 12 doctors attended the meeting
of which 8 were from the country.
Two years later another general meeting was held in which 9
doctors took part. There the Icelandic Medical Society was formally
established on August 29, 1898. No more meetings were held in this
society. Ancther meeting which was to be held had to be called off
since no doctors could come from the North and East country and
thereby the activities of that society ceased.
There are therefore 70 years since an effort was made to establish
a national organization for Icelandic physicians and half a century since
they succeeded in doing so.
In the vear 1902 Guðmundur Hannesson formed “The Medical
Society of the North and East Country“ and published a hectographed
medical journal at his own expense in 1902-1904 to be distributed
among the members. Although this society came to an end and the
publication of the journal ceased, Guðmundur Hannesson fought in-
cessantly for the establishment of a general association of Icelandic
doctors.
The Medical Society of Reykjavík, which was established on
October 18, 1909, took the matter up and called a meeting to discuss
it cn March 5, 1917.
A bylaw was drafted for the Icelandic Medical Association and
annual dues set at 2 krónur.
The Medical Society of Reykjavík sent the draft to all physicians
in the country for study and comments and also to be voted on.
The formal establishment of the association took place on January
14, 1918, and there were 62 founders.
The first governors of the association were Guðmundur Hannes-
son, chairman, Guðmundur Magnússon, treasurer and Sæmundur
Bjarnhéðinsson, secretary. Of the founders are still living Árni Árna-
son, Bjarni Snæbjörnsson, Halldór Hansen, Helgi Skúlason and Ólafur
Þorsteinsson, but he is the only one who attended the establishment
meeting.
The first annual convention of the Icelandic Medical Association
after the initial meeting was held in Reykjavík little over one year
later on July l-7th, 1919 and it was attended by 32 members. An
honorary member was chosen Ásgeir Blöndal, who first had proposed
the establishment of the association 30 years before. The main subject
of the meeting was the State Hospital and the prevention of veneral
diseases and tuberculosis.
The law on tuberculosis prevention and prevention of veneral
diseases may be traced to the resolutions of this convention. The first
doctors banquet was held at the end of the annual convention of the
Icelandic Medical Association in 1922 at Hótel ísland and after that
it became customary to end the annual convention with a banquet.
All doctors residing in the country and who are fully qualified
members, work within the domain of the Icelandic Medical Association.
The membership is now close to 320 or five times the total number