ex-president of this Society, Judge L. T. Tinger of Rockville and Dr. Max Mailhouse of New Haven. This committee has been actively at work since its appointment, and, though no particular site has as yet been decided upon, has under consideration a number of excellent farm properties which may be made suitable for the purposes of a colony. We desire to congratulate the Society upon the progress already made and have no doubt that another year will see the Connecticut Colony for Epileptics started upon its mission. Respectfully submitted, MAX MAILHOUSE, AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COLONY FOR EPILEPTICS AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION THEREFOR. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: SECTION 1. There shall be established within this state a colony for epileptics, the object of which shall be the scientific treatment, education, employment, and custody of epileptics and which shall be known as the Connecticut Colony for Epileptics. SEC. 2. The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall, within thirty days after the passage of this act, appoint a commission consisting of three citizens of this state whose duty it shall be within one year after the approval of this act to acquire, by purchase or otherwise, suitable land in this state upon which to establish said colony. In the selection of said site, said commissioners shall consider the natural advantages of the location for varied forms of husbandry and allied occupations, water supply, drainage, railroad facilities, and general adaptability for the purposes stated in section one of this act. Said commissioners shall serve without compensation, but they shall be allowed and paid all reasonable expenses incurred by them in the discharge of their duties. SEC. 3. Said commissioners shall purchase a tract of land of not less than two hundred acres, the title to which shall be approved by the attorney-general and shall be taken in the name of the state of Connecticut. SEC. 4. The government and control of said institution shall be vested in a board of trustees consisting of eight members, to be appointed by the governor, one from each county. Two shall serve for one year, two for two years, two for three years, and two for four years, and thereafter each member of said board shall hold office for four years unless sooner removed by the governor for cause. The governor shall fill any vancancy occurring during the term of any member of said board. Said trustees shall be allowed their reasonable traveling and other necessary expenses, to be paid as other expenses of said institution are paid, but no trustee shall receive any compensation for his services. SEC. 5. The trustees shall have charge of the general interests of the institution, make and execute its by-laws, appoint and remove its officers, attendants, and employes, fix their compensation, exercise a strict supervision over all its expenditures, and may receive, by bequest, devise, or gift, property for the use of the institution, and make purchases of lands and take deeds therefor in the name of the state. They shall also appoint a superintendent, who shall not be one of their own number, and who shall be a reputable physician and surgeon of experience in a similar institution or in an institution for the insane. SEC. 6. They shall also appoint a treasurer, who shall give a bond to the state in the sum of ten thousand dollars to account faithfully for all property received by him as treasurer. He shall keep accurate accounts of his receipts and expenditures, and of all property intrusted to him, which accounts, with the vouchers, shall be submitted quarterly, and oftener if required, to the trustees, with a written statement of his disbursements and funds in hand; and his books shall be at all times open to inspection by the trustees. SEC. 7. Said trustees shall procure plans for the construction and equipment of the necessary buildings for said colony, which shall be according to the best ideas of sanitary and standard construction. They shall advertise for bids for the construction and equipment of said buildings, and the contract therefor shall be awarded to the lowest bidder, who shall give a bond with surety to the state and to the satisfaction of said board of trustees for the faithful performance of his contract. There is hereby appropriated out of any funds not otherwise appropriated, twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the purchase of the land and for the erection and equipment of the buildings authorized by this act. SEC. 8. Said trustees are authorized to admit patients to said institution under special agreements; provided, however, that hopeful cases shall have preference as to admission, and in no instance shall a hopelessly or violently insane person be admitted. The expense of support and treatment of all patients admitted to said institution shall be paid in whole or in part out of the estate of such person, if he have any estate; if he have no estate it shall be paid by the town to which he belongs, and if he belongs to no town in this state said expense shall be paid by the state. SEC. 9. Whenever there shall be found in this state any pauper or indigent epileptic who may be benefited by being sent to said institution, such proceedings may be had for the commitment of such person as are now provided by law for the commitment of insane paupers and indigent persons; and all laws relating to the commitment and support of the indigent insane are hereby made applicable to epileptics committed as indigent to the Connecticut Colony for Epileptics. SEC. 10. Epileptic patients may be transferred from any institution in this state to the Connecticut Colony for Epileptics upon the recommendation of the medical superintendent of the respective institutions from and to which it is desired to transfer such patients. If desirable at any time, applications for such transfer may be referred to the state board of charities for investigation and recommendation. The cost of such transfer shall be paid by the institution making the transfer and shall be paid out of the maintenance fund of such institution.. SEC. 11. The board of trustees is empowered to make such rules and regulations respecting the care, custody, and discipline of patients, and the management of the institution and its affairs, as they may deem best for the interests of the patient and the state. All persons admitted to the institution shall, until discharged therefrom, be under the custody and control of the superintendent; and the superintendent may, subject to such regulations as the trustees may adopt, restrain and discipline any patient in such manner as he may deem necessary for the welfare of the patient and the proper conduct of the institution. SEC. 12. No patient shall be discharged from said institution until, in the judgment of the superintendent, the mental and physical condition of such patient justifies his discharge. SEC. 13. The board of trustees shall meet once each month. They shall keep a full and accurate account of their proceedings in a book to be provided for that purpose. The superintendent shall report annually to the trustees, or oftener if required by them, and the trustees shall report biennially to the general assembly, accompanying their report with the annual report of the superintendent. Settlement with the comptroller, making of reports and the keeping of records, inventories, and accounts shall, so far as practicable, conform to existing laws regarding institutions for the insane. SEC. 14. This act shall take effect from its passage. (12) Report of the Member of the National Legislative Council, by Dr. Everett J. McKnight (Hartford): REPORT OF THE MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates: A joint conference of the Committees on Medical Education and Medical Legislation of the American Medical Association was held at the Congress Hotel, Chicago, Ill., February 28 and March 1 and 2, 1910. Your representative on the National Legislative Council had made all preparations to attend, but at the last moment was prevented from doing so by the serious illness of a patient and friend whose death was imminent. A report of the educational part of that conference appeared in the January Bulletin of the American Medical Association, which was held back for that purpose. A report of the legislative part is not yet published, and all your committee can now report is, that following said conference a committee was appointed to formulate and model a bill which will appear in the report of the Committee on Legislation at the coming annual meeting in St. Louis. Your committee desires to call the attention of the Society to the proposition to establish a Department of Health with a Secretary in the Cabinet of the President (Owen Bill, S. 6049). This is a matter of great importance and it is to be hoped that all members of this Society who have personal acquaintance with our representatives in Congress will use their best efforts to secure a solid affirmative vote from the State of Connecticut when the bill comes up for action. EVERETT J. MCKNIGHT. (13) Report of the Delegates to the American Medical Association, by Dr. Everett J. McKnight (Hartford): REPORT OF THE DELEGATES TO THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates: It was very much regretted by everyone that President Burrell was prevented by illness from being present at the meeting. In his absence the first Vice President, Dr. T. J. Murray of Montana, occupied the chair during the first day. The State of Connecticut was represented on only one committee, that on Credentials, where most excellent work was done by Dr. D. Chester Brown. The reports of officers showed the affairs of the Association to be in most excellent condition. The stormy meeting which had been predicted and expected by many turned out to be a veritable love feast. Dr. William H. Welch, in his report as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, struck the keynote when, referring to the remarkable advance made by the Association in recent years, he said, "All of this and much more has been accomplished in the brief period of ten years, and your Trustees feel that they would be derelict in their duty did they not add with pride and sentiments of regard that the one man above all others to whom we are indebted for these great things is our present Editor and General Manager, Dr. George H. Simmons." When later in the session Dr. Simmons was reëlected, I think unanimously, General Secretary, the enthusiasm was intense and his words upon being escorted to the platform, "Gentlemen, I thank you. All I can say is if a man is to be judged by the least he ever knew and by the worst he ever did, God help everyone of us," told the whole story. Whatever he may have been in the past, he is certainly remarkably well qualified for the position he now fills. It hardly seems necessary for me to go into detail concerning the proceedings of the House of Delegates. Should I do so, you would all be very much surprised at the number and importance of the matters which come up for consideration by that body, and you would be filled with commiseration for your delegates, who are obliged to devote nearly all of their time during the session to business matters, preventing them from gaining any personal advantage from the scientific meetings. Under the head of Medical Legislation were considered the several bills then before Congress having relation to the medical profession or the public health-bills relating to the Public |