responsible persons as to their professional and moral character. For further information, or for invitation to appear before the board of examiners, address Surgeon-General, Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, Washington, D. C. THE AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER NARCOTICS was organized on June 8, 1904, by the union of the American Association for the Study of Inebriety and the Medical Temperance Association. Both of these societies are composed of physicians interested in the study and treatment of inebriety and the physiological nature and action of alcohol and narcotics in health and disease. The first society was organized in 1870 and has published five volumes of transactions and twenty-seven yearly volumes of the Quarterly Journal of Inebriety, the organ of its association. The second society began in 1891 and has issued three volumes of transactions and for seven years published a quarterly bulletin containing the papers read at its meetings. The special object of the union of the two societies is to create greater interest among physicians to study one of the greatest evils of modern times. Its plan of work is to encourage and promote more exact scientific studies of the nature and effects of alcohol in health and disease, particularly of its etiological, physiological and therapeutic relations. Second, to secure more accurate investigation of the diseases associated or following from the use of alcohol and narcotics. Third, to correct the present empirical treatment of these diseases by secret drugs and so-called specifics and to secure legislation prohibiting the sale of nostrums claiming to be absolute cures but containing dangerous poisons. Fourth, to encourage special legislation for the care, control and medical treatment of spirit. and drug takers. The alcoholic problem and the diseases which center and spring from it are becoming more prominent and its medical and hygienic importance have assumed such proportions that physicians everywhere are called on for advice and counsel. Public sentiment is turning to medical men for authoritative facts and conclusions to enable them to realize the causes, means, prevention and cure of this evil. This new society comes to meet this want by enlisting medical men as members and stimulating new studies and researches from a broader and more scientific point of view. As a medical and hygienic topic the alcoholic problem has an intense personal interest, not only to every physician, but to the public generally in every town and city in the country. This interest demands concentrated efforts through the medium of a society to clear away the present confusion, educate the public sentiment, and make medical men the final authority in the consideration of the remedial measures for cure and prevention. For this purpose a most urgent appeal is made to all physicians to assist in making this society the medium and authority for the scientific study of the subject. The secretary, Dr. T. D. Crothers, of Hartford, Conn., will be pleased to give any further information. SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS. MEMPHIS AND SHELBY COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY Regular meeting, August 2, 1904. Vice-President, Dr. J. L. Andrews, in the chair. Present were Drs. J. L. Andrews, Barton, Heber Jones, Krauss, Stanley, Kane, Campbell, Burns, Kincaid, W. T. Black, D. S. Black, Jelks, Blackburn, Ellett, Alfred Moore, Castles, Baldwin, DeLoach, Crutcher, Price, McCown, Vanhorn, Green, Braun, Johnson, Edwin Williams, E. E. Haynes, Moore Moore, Goitman. Visitors, Mr. Thos. B. Collier, Drs. Chaffee, Wynne, and Savage. PROGRAM. Some Thoughts on Needed Medical Legislation in Tennessee. Dr. William Krauss. (See page 449.) Discussion of Dr. Krauss' paper: Dr. W. T. Black was in sympathy with Dr. Krauss, that the requisites for the practice of medicine should be high. Dr. Jelks thought that no paper had ever been read before the society that was capable of doing more good. This paper should be given to the lay as well as the medical press. Dr. D. S. Black heartily indorsed all said, both by Drs. Krauss and Jelks. Dr. Ellett said the part he wanted to call attention to was as to opticians, "hematologists," etc.; while they say they do not practice medicine in the true sense of the word, they do write prescriptions as well as fit glasses, etc. He had seen a prescription written by an optician, and had also seen a prescription written by a hematologist. Some of our regular physicians refer patients to these opticians. Men who advertised to cure cataract by absorption treatment also wrote prescriptions. He thought the daily papers should not advertise abortives. Dr. Price had seen two prescriptions, written by opticians, containing strychnia. Dr. E. E. Haynes thought the paper of Dr. Krauss a most important one, and wanted to emphasize the facts brought out in this paper, especially in regard to abortionists. In this connection he reported a very interesting case where a young lady had lost her life through the mistake of an abortionistthe abortionist mistaking a uterine tumor for a pregnancy. Dr. J. E. Johnson thought it should be made a felony for a physician to fail to report a case of abortion. Mr. Thomas B. Collier thanked the society for the privilege of hearing Dr. Krauss. He had learned many things from this paper which surprised him. What the medical profession wanted was legislation that would bring results. We have many good laws which are not enforced. The greatest thing the medical profession has to contend with is the daily press. A bill was introduced at the last meeting of the state legislature to require the manufacturers of patent medicines to print the formula on the label, also to print the percentage of alcohol and poisonous drugs. The bill for some cause was withdrawn. The medical profession could attack the manufacturers of many patent medicines on the ground that the medicines. do not accomplish what they advertise to do on the bottle. Some results had recently been obtained in a suit on this ground. In this connection he mentioned many bills introduced at the last session of the legislature, giving interesting reasons for their failing to pass. Dr. Burns, in regard to a bill Mr. Collier said had been introduced to prevent the sale of fire-works, mentioned a paper read before the Mississippi Valley Medical Association at the Memphis meeting by Dr. Stanton, of Chicago, giving the number of deaths and injuries from Fourth of July fire-works. Dr. Heber Jones said when the last law regulating the practice of medicine and surgery was passed, he tried to have embodied in the law a clause preventing opticians, Christian scientists, osteopaths, etc., from practicing in the state, but could not do this, as the passage of the bill depended upon leaving out this clause, though he thought this could be accomplished later. The laws regulating the practice of medicine and surgery in New Jersey reached those who advertised abortive drugs, as the laws of New Jersey prevented the sale of any patent medicines and all of these abortive remedies he thought were patented. Dr. Krauss, in conclusion, said he was glad to have Mr. Collier to discuss his paper, and had secured much valuable information from his discussion. Dr. Krauss moved that his paper and discussion be referred to the Committee on Public Health and Legislation. Carried. The credential committee having made a favorable report upon the name of Dr. Daniel R. Brown, he was unanimously elected to membership. Dr. Heber Jones, chairman of the credential committee, moved that Dr. Eugene Wasdin, surgeon in the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service, be elected to honorary membership in the society. Carried. BOOK REVIEWS. The Doctor's Recreation Series. To be published in twelve volumes. Price, silk cloth, gilt top, double edge, per Red Lamp. A book of short stories concerning naturally follows. This recreation may be found in a series of books such as is now appearing. The purpose of the editors has been to amass an amount of useful, curious and entertaining literature pertaining to the medical profession which has heretofore been either inaccessible to the general practitioner, or so widely scattered as to be practically unattainable when most needed. Truly they have been happy in the selection of the material contained in the first two volumes of the series. The first volume is entitled "The Doctor's Leisure Hour", and covers the entire life of the doctor, from his student days until he becomes prominent. This volume numbers among its contributors, Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, John Watson, Ruth McEnery Stuart, Mary E. Wilkins, Mackenzie Bell, Edwin L. Sabin, etc., and the stories by these various authors will afford many an hour's enjoyment. The second volume, bearing the title "The Doctor's Red Lamp ", is a collection of short stories by different authors, all concerning the daily life of the physician. Among the authors are Conan Doyle, Ian Maclaren, Ambrose Bierce, Mrs. Oliphant, Joseph Kirkland, Margaret Sutton Brisco, Henry Seton Merriman, Maud Wilder Goodwin, George Edgar Montgomery, Lucy S. Furman, etc., which list of clever authors give some idea of the delightful stories contained within the volume. The editors and publishers of "The Doctor's Recreation Series" are conferring a boon on the profession by supplying these volumes of enjoyable and instructive literature, and we look for instant and general appreciation of them on the part of the profession. Von Bergmann's Surgery. A System of Practical Surgery. By Drs. E. von Bergmann, of Berlin, P. von Bruns, of Tübingen, and J. von Mikulicz, of Breslau. Edited by William T. Bull, M.D., Professor of Surgery in the College of Physicians and Surgeons (Columbia University), New York. To be complete in five imperial octavo volumes, containing over 4000 pages, 1600 engravings and 110 full-page plates in colors and monochrome. Sold by subscription only. Per volume, cloth, $6; leather, $7; half morocco, $8.50, net. Volume III just ready. 918 pages, 595 engravings, 21 plates. Von Bergmann's Surgery. A System of Practical Surgery. By Drs. E. von Bergmann, of Berlin, P. von Bruns, of Tübingen, and J. von Mikulicz, of Breslau. Edited by William T. Bull, M.D., Professor of Surgery in the College of Physicians and Surgeons (Columbia University), New York. To be complete in five imperial octavo volumes, containing over 4000 pages, 1600 engravings and 110 full-page plates in colors and monochrome. Sold by subscription only. Per volume, net, cloth, $6; leather, $7; half morocco, $8.50. Volume IV just ready. 757 pages, 345 engravings, 16 plates. Lea Brothers & Co., Publishers. Philadelphia and New York, 1904. With the above two volumes before us, we come to an even better realization of the magnificence of this notable work. American readers indeed owe Dr. Bull and the publishers many thanks for having put within their reach a system of surgery which will prove of so much value to them. It is really an encyclopedia of surgery, and many of its chapters will be found fuller and more comprehensive than some special treatises on their particular subjects. Its practical and clinical character will render it of great usefulness to the practitioner. The physician who will be so fortunate as to have this system in his library will feel that he has a never failing source of advice concerning every subject in modern surgery. And he will find moreover that this work has been adapted to the demands of American surgical practice, and will even find it more complete in details and illustration than the German edition from which it was translated. In the two volumes |