 The Society limited its membership to Boston 's medical elite . In 1835 a number ineligible physicians ( mostly younger , less established members of the profession ) formed a competing organization , the Boston Society for Medical Observation . By 1838 , when the Society was incorporated , membership had grown to 35 , with approximately 25 attending any given meeting . Around 1840 the Society relocated once again , to Tremont Row . Until 1840 the Society often held anniversary celebrations ( frequently including the presentation of an original poem by member Oliver Wendell Holmes ) but after that date they became increasingly rare . 
