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II, Sec. 1, to insert the words "Committee on National Legislation" after the word State.

Chapter II, Sec. 8, to insert in third line, after State, the words, "and Committee on National Legislation."

Chapter II, Sec. 9, to insert the words, "The Committee on National Legislation shall hold their respective offices until others be elected in their places."

Dr McKnight reported from the Committee to attend the Bicentennial of Yale University that he had the medal which he received at that time and which he intended to present to the Society.

The Auditing Committee reported that they had examined the Report of the Treasurer and found it correct. The Report of the Treasurer was thereupon accepted. A tax of three dollars per capita was laid for the year, Dr. Knight explaining that generally the annual meeting found us with a surplus of from three to four hundred dollars. Now we had only made up a deficiency. This tax of three dollars is to accumulate a surplus.

Dr. Townsend believes in keeping the tax as low as possible. Was Clerk of the New Haven County Association and found it difficult to collect the dues. If the tax is too high men will drop out. It ought to be kept down as low as possible.

Dr. Rodman thinks that three dollars is little enough in view of the empty treasury. It is only a little advance over last year's and that was not enough.

Dr. Ensign said Hartford County adds $1.25 to the
State Society tax and that makes almost five dollars.
If we have a weighty tax, the men are likely to be
dropped.

Dr. Townsend moved to amend the tax to $2.50.
Dr.

thinks it too bad to go along with only six dollars in the treasury.

Dr. Segur: What is the prospect that the Treasurer will get the arrears?

Dr. Knight: Taxes in arrears are always collected to a certain extent. It is scarcely feasible to rely on arrears. These are about the same every year. The motion to make the tax three dollars was then passed.

The meeting of the President and Fellows adjourned. N. E. WORDIN,

Secretary.

THE ANNUAL CONVENTION.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1902.

The Annual Convention was called to order at 4:30, immediately after the meeting of the President and Fellows.

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

An unusual interest is felt this year in the American Medical Association because of the change in its By-laws regulating its governing body and because of its attempt to unify the profession of the country. Directly following the correspondence given in our last Report came the meeting at St. Paul at which the changes proposed were adopted. Dr. Simmons, the Secretary, well condenses them in the following letter sent to the President of this Society:

61 MARKET ST., CHICAGO, March 8, 1902.

Dr. John H. Grannis, Old Saybrook, Conn. : MY DEAR DOCTOR:

At the Atlantic City meeting of the American Medical Association, 1900, a committee on reorganization of the profession was appointed. This committee made its report at the meeting at St. Paul, and the report was adopted practically as recommended. The report consisted of two parts: One, a preliminary report which was practically an argument for, and explanatory of the regular report, and two, the report proper, which was the Constitution and By-laws revised to accord with the changes recommended.

I send you, under separate cover, the matter referred to, viz., a reprint of the preliminary report and a copy of the revised Constitution and By-laws as adopted at St. Paul.

I would call your attention to the last part of the preliminary report, commencing with "Too Many Miscellaneous Societies," on p. 29, as this part of the report deals directly with the State and County Societies.

After adopting the new Constitution and By-laws and the recommendations of the Committee on Reorganization, a resolution was passed by the Association instructing the Secretary to enter into correspondence with the officers of the State societies relative to the changes made and in regard to the relations of the State society to the American Medical Association under the new constitution. It is in obedience to the instructions contained in the resolution referred to that I now address you.

The changes cover three points: (1) The change in the Association itself. (2) The changed relationship of the State society to the American Medical Association. (3) The relationship of County and State societies.

1. The change in the Association itself: Under the old constitution the business of the Association was transacted by delegates appointed by State, district and local affiliated societies, in proportion of one delegate for each ten members, or major fraction thereof, of such societies. The number was unlimited and in quite recent years this has exceeded 1,500. The delegates met in general meeting each morning of the annual session, and this meeting was made up of both delegate and nondelegate members. Under the new Constitution and Bylaws, only affiliated State societies have the right to send delegates, and these are entitled to one delegate to each 500 active members, or minor fraction of this number.

The delegate body will have a distinctive name, viz., the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association. It is limited to 150 in number. Besides the affiliated State societies each of the component scientific Sections will be entitled to send two delegates, and the Army, the Navy, and the Marine-Hospital Service will each be entitled to send one delegate.

The changed relationship of the State society to the American Medical Association: Heretofore, the State society bore the same relation to the A. M. A. as did the city, county and district societies. In the future only the State society will be represented. In other words, the State societies practically will create the legis lative body of the American Medical Association and the House of Delegates will be a body in which are federated all the State societies. This important relationship must be appreciated by the State societies, for the future of the A. M. A. is dependent on their action when they select their representative to the House of Delegates. In the past the individual delegate was of small importance; in the future the opposite will be the case.

3. The relationship of the County to the State society: The American Medical Association having taken away from the County society its right to send delegates, the latter must obtain its representation through the State society. Hence, the necessity of a more direct relationship of the County society to the State society than has existed in the past in some of the States. You will find this matter thoroughly discussed in the reprint of the Preliminary Report of the Committee on Reorganization, commencing on p. 33. See, also, articles appearing in The Journal under the title "Organization of the Medical Profession," commencing with the issue for January 11.

The American Medical Association having started in the great work of organizing the profession, it now asks each State society to take up the matter, carrying out certain principles so that we may soon have our profession organized,, with the central body, the A. M. A., ramifying into the State societies, and the State societies ramifying into their branches, the County or District societies, as the case may be.

If you will notice p. 5 of the Committee's report, you will find that certain recommendations are made to the State societies. Under "a" is a request that each State

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