say they are opposed to a scheme of this kind. It is not opposition to higher medical education. I move to amend the report by striking out those portions of it I have named under the caption of "The State and Medical Schoils." The vital statistics bill, which has faile former legislatures, has passed the senate b stantial majority, and is now awaiting conside the house. Senate Bill No. 481, introduced by Senator H prohibiting advertising in the newspapers sexual diseases, and a very worthy measure, wa almost unanimously by the senate. It has acted on in the lower branch of the general & House Bill No. 332, introduced by Repre Medill McCormick, prohibiting splitting of physicians and midwives, was killed in the committee to which it was referred. Senate Bill No. 3, entitled an act to provide treatment of public intoxication and inebriety lishing hospital and industrial colony, intro Senator Beall, was laid on the table. Dr. A. C. Cotton: The matter presented by my dear friend, Dr. Lewis, has reference to an alleged premeditated or accomplished purchase of some property in Chicago for university purposes. I think it is absolutely foreign to the matter that is presented to us in the report of the Committee on Medical Education. The question, as I understand it, is, Shall the State. Medical Society through its council go on record as favoring the request of the trustees of the University of Illinois for an appropriation for a medical department? Unless I am misinformed, the Trustees are unanimous in this request of the Legislature for a moderate appropriation of $100,000 to build, to promote the department of epileptics, passed the senate on April 29. medicine which that university has established. I believe that there is but very little argument necessary for us to decide whether we are for or against a medical department in the University of Illinois. Any details merely obscure the main. question. Surely, it is not for us to decide whether the Trustees of that university are to buy property in this county or that county or this city; whether they are to buy a site or to buy a building or to erect a building. It is their business to decide those questions. The main question before us is, Are we in favor of sustaining the medical department of the State University? (A voice: We are.) As there was no further discussion, the president put the motion to adopt the report and declared it carried unanimously. Dr. L. C. Taylor of Springfield, Chairman, read the report of the Committee on Medical Legislation; as follows: REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL The prolonged delay in effecting an organization of the lower branch of the general assembly, postponed the actual work of the legislature about one month. later than has been the custom. Consequently, many of the bills that ordinarily would have been disposed of before our annual meeting are yet on the calendar of either the house or the senate. The report of your Committee on Medical Legislation must, therefore, necessarily comprise only the situation as it exists at the present time. Medical bills of far greater number have been introduced than in any session of recent years. Some of them have decided merit; others are obnoxious and still others find the medical profession hopelessly divided among themselves as to their merits. Senate Bill No. 18, introduced by Senator providing a sanatorium for those afflicted wit culosis, is still in the committee to which referred. Senate Bill No. 132, introduced by Senator C entitled an act in relation to the state co order of the first reading in the house. Senate Bill No. 245, an act to prevent the tion of habitual criminals, idiots, feeble-min imbeciles, introduced by Senator Womack, is order of second reading in the senate. Senate Bill No. 368, the same as House Bill an act to promote the science and art and regi practice of surgery, is pending in both house bill provides for a special license to practice The attention of your committee was not called measure and when it came up for hearing be judiciary committee of the house, no one app advocate its passage. The hearing was acc postponed until a later date. The bill making appropriation for the mec partment of the University of Illinois is a par general appropriation bill and will come up sideration among other appropriations und measure. House Bill No. 428, is an act to prohibit ph and surgeons from disclosing information from patients in the course of practice. House bill No. 229, introduced by Repres Gorman, entitled, an act to regulate the pra osteopathy in the state of Illinois, is a bill v passed, would practically confer on all osteopa in practice and those yet to be licensed the practice medicine and surgery in all their b It received favorable consideration by the j committee. The bill is now on the order of reading in the house. Neither it nor the op bill, which also received favorable report fr committee, has been introduced in the senate. When the present committee on medical leg was organized, in order to promote a more t cooperation among the members of the medi fession, we adopted the plan of making each medical society to name one or more of its r to act as auxiliary to the state committee. Ne of the county societies complied with the Many of them have shown an active interest a rendered valuable assistance in legislative work have shown a lack of interest almost appr CHAPTER XII.-AMENDMENTS These By-Laws may be amended or suspended by the House of Delegates at any annual session by a twothirds vote of all the delegates present. At the conclusion of the report Dr. Black said: I would say the whole committee has really never had but one meeting, and that for a few minutes on yesterday, so that this matter is left with you in this form. I move the adoption of the report. Dr. J. E. Stubbs, Chicago: I move as a substitute motion that the report be received and that the recommendations be rejected. Motion seconded. Dr. Merlin Z. Albro, Chicago: Some two years ago, at Aurora, there was presented to the House of Delegates two amendments to the Constitution. One of them was known as the Zurawski amendment, and the other as it now appears in this tentative report, as Chapter 10, Section 4. The Zurawski amendment provided for the election of one set of delegates, those elected directly by the component societies, and was a step in the direction of democracy. That amendment has been omitted from this report. The other amendment, now marked Chapter 10, Section 4, I have here, and if I have permission I will read it. The President: You must confine yourself directly to the substitute motion and that hardly bears on it. Dr. Albro: I am speaking to the subject of the motion. The President: I hardly think so. The question is on the rejection of these recommendations. Dr. Albro: The reasons why these recommendations should be rejected, I believe, will bear on the question of the discussion, and that is exactly what I intended to say in order to bring up this matter. Where no properly organized component medical society exists in a county or in a part of a county, the councilor for the district shall use every friendly means to secure the organization of a society in such county or district. In case of failure of a county or part of a county to organize a component society as provided in these By-Laws the Council shall decide what action be taken. That is the complete section. That part of it which specifies counties having 300 or more members applies solely to Cook County; consequently, whatever bearing this section may have, it has a bearing upon Cook County, and no other county society is to be considered. The effect of this action would be to divide the Chicago Medical Society into at least five separate independent rival disunited societies. Now, gentlemen, the Chicago Medical Society is the largest local medical society in the world. It has about 2,400 members. It is working quietly, steadily and effectively along the best lines of the profession, and it is accomplishing splendid work, and the reason that it is accomplishing splendid work is because of its splendid organization. If you disrupt and destroy the mechanical organization of that society, you destroy the usefulness of it, as its usefulness is based on its technical organization. The parent organization has divided itself for convenience and for scientific purposes into fourteen branches, and those fourteen branches hold one scientific meeting every month except in the summer months. We have, therefore, fourteen branch. meetings in the Chicago Medical Society every month, each one of which is held in the territory of the district which the branch composes, and each one of which is therefore conveniently loctaed for the members composing that branch. In addition to that, the main body holds four or five meetings a month. It holds a scientific meeting every week on Wednesday night, which five scientific meetings every month, bringing the total up to eighteen or nineteen medical meetings each month. If you have watched the Bulletin that is published by the Chicago Medical Society, you will find that the programs of the branches are high class; in fact, some of the branch societies are inclined to think that their programs are as good if not better than those of the central body. That does not mean unhealthy rivalry, but means we are all striving to do our best, and that there is a healthy rivalry among the branches to see who can do the best work. If you place five societies or more in this district they will have no connection with each other. They will have no rela means four I propose to read to you Section 4, Chapter 10, so that you can see what it is, and then you will understand why we wish these recommendations to be rejected. Section 4 reads: Only one component medical society shall be chartered in any county, excepting in counties having 300 or more members, application may be made to the Council for a subdivision of the county into two or more branch county societies, each of which may receive regular charters as component societies on application to the Council in the usual manner, and provided that each branch county society thus organized shall contain not less than seventy-five or more than 500 members in good standing who shall live within a definitely bounded territory, and who shall constitute not less than 50 per cent. of the legally qualified physicians living within this district. or tionship. There will be no ties of unity, no channels for communicating with each other; there will be none of the touch of the elbow that is so important in organization work to keep these societies up to their standards. That is perhaps theoretical; perhaps it is sentimental; call it whatever you like. It is intensely practical for organization. The Chicago Medical Society has a Milk Commission which has been in existence for six years, and it has done good work. It is the body It is the body through which the Chicago Medical Society is able to furnish the community of that territory certified milk that is sold in the city of Chicago and is purchased under the certification of the Chicago Medical Society's Milk Commission. If you divide the Chicago Medical Society into five or more branches, which one of these branches shall take on the Milk Commission? This Milk Commission is a matter of dollars and cents to many men. The certification of the Milk Commission covers fifteen farms, the owners of which have provided themselves with the most improved machinery and have put into operation the most improved and approved methods. Thousands of dollars are involved in the production and distribution of this milk. If the Milk Commission The President: You are out of order, doctor. I will have to rule that. What you are talking about is not in the By-Laws. The recommendation, as I see it, is that a new committee be appointed with instructions to report at a special meeting to be held before the first regular meeting of the House of Delegates in 1914. This By-Law is not before this meeting for consideration, and this gentleman (Dr. Stubbs) has made a motion to reject the recommendation, and the only question is whether we shall reject the recommendations or not. Dr. R. J. Christie, Quincy: I move the substitute motion be tabled. Cries of No! No! Dr. Albro: This proposition has been hanging over the Chicago Medical Society for two years. We do not feel that this should be continued any longer, as it is a source of worry and annoyance and irritation to our society. It has been kept hanging over us, so that we do not know where we stand so long as this thing is in existence. The President: The question before the House is the motion to reject the recommendations or not. Dr. Albro: If this report falls, the matter is ended there. There is no provision then for any future committee or provision made for anything further. The President: You are out of order, doctor. Dr. Andrew M. Harvey, Chicago: I appeal from the decision of the Chair. The appeal was seconded. Dr. Harvey: Dr. Albro, Mr. President, is in order. He is trying to make arguments why this House should vote for this substitute motion; he is trying to make clear why the substitute motion should be carried. The President: All those in favor of sustaining the Chair will please say aye; contraryminded, No. The Noes have it. Dr. Albro (resuming): I do not believe there is much I have to say in addition to what I have already said. I have set forth the reasons why we wish to have this matter dropped here now, this matter of Constitution and By-Laws which brings in a section of the By-Laws which will destroy the usefulness of the Chicago Medical Society. There is one point more which I will bring to your attention why this thing should be rejected It is not my point or our point, but it is your point. There is nothing in this section which will prevent the Chicago Medical Society from forming five or more societies in its territory, and thereby securing double representation in the House of Delegates in the Illinois State Medical Society. Dr. D. G. Smith: It is very unfortunate that this question is up for debate right now. Yesterday, for the first time, as our Chairman has stated, the full committee met for only a short time. We there and then agreed, and all of us have signed this report, that we have no report of revision of Constitution or By-Laws to present to this society or to this House of Delegates for consideration. We did not mean to harm the Cook County Society in the least. This article which Dr. Albro refers to we have told you we were not unanimously for. We are not satisfied with it, nor do we ask you to adopt it, and for that reason this debate is all unnecessary at this moment. The members of this committee are so located that it was hard for them to get together, and we only have a tentative report for you to take home with you, read and study, and come here in a year from now at the hour called by the president, and we will act then. We also stated in this report that the president shall appoint a new committee to bring in a more thorough revision of the articles before this House of Delegates to be considered at that time. There fore, this one particular article which Cook County is afraid is going to bring destruction to them is not here for discussion at this time. It seems to me, it is useless for us to dive into this question at this time. The only proposition is whether you are going to accept what we have done so far, and we have recommended to you to appoint a new committee and discharge us, and that is all that we have asked. We cannot legitimately consider these articles to-day. I think my fellow colleagues on this committee will bear me out in that because our instructions a year ago were that they were to be printed; that the proposed articles were to be printed and submitted at a former meeting, and acted upon at a later one, which could not be done at this time. It is useless to adopt this report at this time. You may accept, and let the President at some time, when he sees fit, appoint a committee to take this up, and comply with these articles and also with the former articles suggested a year ago. Dr. Albro: The point is exactly there. If we do not want that recommendation of five men constituting a new committee, why should we have it, debate or no debate? Do we want a new committee or do we not want it? (Cries of No! No!) Dr. Smith: You are debating the article or section. Dr. Albro: I am debating the rejection of the recommendation for five members to constitute a new committee. Is that clear? I have been stating the reasons why Dr. Smith: You went into one particular article or section. There were cries of Question! Question! The President: I want to make this statement, that if this motion should pass, the present President would not appoint that committee. would be done by the incoming President. Dr. Harvey: I move to include in Dr. Stubbs' motion that the committee be discharged. It Dr. Stubbs: I accept the amendment. The substitute motion, as amended, was then put and declared carried. mittee, and after describing the work that has been accomplished by the committee during the year, he said: With reference to the matter of recommendations, I sent a letter to the members of the society stating the situation had somewhat changed regarding malpractice insurance. About seventy per cent, of the members are now insured. There were about ten per cent. insured when we began our operations. It is obviously some injustice for a man to have his expenses paid out of your fund, and another man, right along side of him who pays $15 to an insurance company. has his expenses paid by the insurance company. That is perfectly obvious. Shall the society take up the question of insurance itself? Concerning that, I have one recommendation to make and say yes absolutely; I am unqualifiedly in favor of doing it on a mutual basis. In the first place. the expense of insurance by the insurance companies is going to go up. The Fidelity and Casualty company have raised from $15 to $25. with a $5,000 indemnity, and there is great possibility that other insurance companies may advance their rates. This society is paying between $50,000 and $60,000 a year for insurance when it can just as well do it on a mutual basis as not. It is an easy and simple thing. If you decide that, the proposition of going from the present basis to the insurance basis is as simple as can be. You now put a dollar into the Treasury. You do it involuntarily, so to speak, because you have no voice about it. It goes to the Medico-Legal Committee fund. I have never been a believer in that system. It was dear to Dr. Evans when we started eight years ago. That fund should be recruited by voluntary contributions. If a man is a member of the society and pays his dues, and if he wants to share in the benefit of the defense fund, he should pay for it. If he does not, he does not share in it. It is purely voluntary. That is the way it should have been started originally. How shall we go from the present basis to the other? My idea is this: I would make three classes of medico-legal contributions; I would let each man at the time he pays his dues or any time he may select send $2.00 to the Medico Dr. Corwin: I rise to a question of special Legal Committee or to the Treasurer, and if he privilege. The President: State it. Dr. Corwin: It is gratifying to know that, at last, Cook County is really recognized. (Laughter.) Dr. Harold N. Moyer, Chicago, Chairman, presented the report of the Medico-Legal Com wants simply to have his expenses paid, the cost of litigation, the attorney's fees, etc., he can pay in damages any amount that might be obtained against him. The next is the $7.00 class, $2.00 of which is to go into the fund for the defense, just like the other man pays $5.00 to go into the fund now |