REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT.

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates: The committee appointed to consider the recommendations made in the President's report begs leave to report as follows: The President commends for consideration the proposition to have the reports of the delegates to the various State Societies. made in open meeting of the whole Society as he feels that they would benefit the whole body of members, and that this method would react advantageously upon the delegates themselves. Your committee favors adoption of this recommendation.

The President also feels that at each annual convention of this Society there should be one or two general meetings of the whole Society "when matters pertaining to subjects of general character or having wide interest to physicians of the State can be presented or discussed in committee of the whole." We recommend that the committee on scientific work, in arranging the programme for each meeting, be instructed to confer with the President of this Society and with the chairman of the council and to include in the programme, for general discussion, any matters which appear to them to be of sufficient interest and importance; and further, that the House of Delegates likewise be empowered to refer any such topics to a general meeting of the members.

The recommendation that steps be taken looking towards earlier publication of the Proceedings has already been met by a vote passed by the House of Delegates.

The President refers to the importance of considering "the proposed financial relations of our members to the practice and care of patients left by physicians called to the service of the nation." Your committee recommends that in carrying out this suggestion, this Society adopt the so-called Maryland Plan, determining the per cent basis which shall obtain throughout this State; and that the Secretary be instructed to notify every physician in the State of this action.

The President refers to a letter received by him from the President of the Allied Temperance Forces in this State, and submits a copy of resolutions which they desire to have endorsed by this body. We recommend that these resolutions be presented to this meeting for such action as is deemed advisable.

The President also submits a letter from the Vice Chairman of the United States Employees' Compensation Commission asking the coöperation of this Society and a statement of opinion on certain matters pertaining thereto. We feel that this body is not in a position to take action upon this without further consideration and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Public Policy and Legislation.

Respectfully submitted,

C. J. BARTLETT,

Chairman.

(19) Report of the Committee on Medical Defense, by Dr. William R. Miller (Southington):

Read by Dr. F. H. Wheeler.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL
DEFENSE.

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates:

Dr. Miller, chairman of the committee, was unable to be present on account of sickness and a short time ago I was requested to make the report for the committee. The committee have had several meetings for the purpose of formulating some plan to be presented to this body to-day for action, but in view of the generally upset condition of the country and the effect which it is bound to have upon the medical profession, which will be more or less serious, and also in view of the fact that most of the county societies have made arrangements with insurance companies whereby their members may be protected at a minimum

cost, your committee deem it inadvisable to take any further action on this subject at the present time.

WILLIAM R. MILLER,

Chairman.

It was voted that a committee be appointed to consider the recommendations made by the President in his report, this committee to report at a later meeting of the House of Delegates.

The President appointed Drs. C. J. Bartlett, A. B. Coleburn, and W. H. Donaldson.

It was voted that the Council and the Secretary should appoint delegates to the various State Societies at their convenience.

On the motion of Dr. Carmalt the resolution of the New Haven County Medical Association in regard to Salvarsan was referred to the meeting of the full Society for action.

Dr. Ingalls pointed out the unsatisfactory way in which the annual reports of the county treasurers are received, and moved that the proposed amendment to Chapter XII, Section 10, of the By-Laws be amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER XII, SECTION 10. The fiscal year of the Society shall terminate on April 30 of each year.

On or before May 10 of each year the Secretary of each component Association shall make a report to the Treasurer of the Society on a blank provided by the Treasurer for that purpose, stating Ist, the number of members from his county and the number exempt; 2d, the total amount collected on the tax of that fiscal year; the amount collected during the year on taxes in arrears; the amount of taxes still in arrears for one year previous; the amount in arrears for two years previous, together with a check to cover the above mentioned collections.

The bills for the tax laid at the annual meeting shall be sent to each member by the respective county clerk on the first day of June of each year.

The clerk of each component association shall forward its roster of officers and list of non-affiliated physicians to the Secretary and Treasurer of this Society each year within five days after the annual session of his county association.

This motion was carried and the amendment as amended by Dr. Ingalls was also adopted.

It was voted that the matter of registration of physicians moving from one town to another be referred to the Committee on Public Policy and Legislation as the enforcement of such registration requires a change in the State law.

Dr. Richard P. Strong of Harvard University and Dr. Hermann M. Biggs of New York were elected honorary members of the Society.

On motion of Dr. Ingalls the Committee of Publication were directed to publish the Constitution and By-Laws, revised to the date of publication, in the annual proceedings each year.

Dr. Crane moved that the Committee on Publication be directed to have the material for the annual proceedings ready for final printing within thirty days after the annual meeting; that the printer be under contract to publish and deliver the report within thirty days thereafter; and that any material which cannot be ready within that time be omitted from the publication, and that if a considerable proportion of the material is unavailable the entire publication be omitted.

Dr. Bartlett moved that Dr. Crane's motion be amended to allow sixty days for the preparation of material for the proceedings. This amendment was accepted by Dr. Crane and after considerable discussion by Drs. Crane, Bartlett, and Steiner, the motion was passed, reading as follows: "I move that the Publication Committee be directed to have the material for the annual proceedings ready for final printing within sixty days after this annual meeting; that the printer be under contract to publish and deliver the report to each member within thirty days thereafter; that any material which cannot be ready within that time be omitted from the publication and that if a considerable proportion of the material is thereby unavailable the entire publication be omitted."

The meeting was then adjourned to Thursday, May 24, 1917, at 8:30 A. M.

The second meeting of the House of Delegates was held at the Hotel Taft, New Haven, on Thursday, May 24, 1917, at 9:49 A. M. The following were present: President Samuel M. Gar

lick and Secretary M. Scarbrough. Council: W. R. Steiner, Hartford County; Wm. H. Carmalt, New Haven County; Frank W. Stevens, Fairfield County; Robert C. White, Windham County; Elias Pratt, Litchfield County; George N. Lawson, Middlesex County. House of Delegates: E. J. McKnight, Hartford County; J. E. Lane, C. J. Bartlett, A. A. Crane, F. N. Loomis and E. W. Smith, New Haven County; F. H. Barnes, F. I. Nettleton, J. D. Gold, G. E. Ober and W. H. Donaldson, Fairfield County; G. M. Burroughs, Windham County; F. H. Lee, Litchfield County; A. B. Coleburn and F. K. Hallock, Middlesex County.

THE PRESIDENT: The first business this morning is the election of officers for the coming year. What is your pleasure?

DR. CARMALT: Mr. President, before that motion is put I want, as chairman of the Council, to make an explanation. According to our laws in Chapter V, Section 4, a sentence reads as follows: "No delegate shall be eligible to any office named in the preceding section except that of Councilor." The meeting of the Council was held the next day after the meeting of the New Haven County Society and no notification was received by the Council as to who the delegates were from New Haven County. We nominated for secretary a man in every respect eligible and desirable for the purpose of secretary. The present secretary had declined previously to have his name mentioned for reëlection and we nominated Dr. Lane. Now it turned out that Dr. Lane is a delegate to the present meeting. As a matter of parliamentary law anything can be done by unanimous consent. I move, sir, that section of the by-law just read be suspended for the present meeting, that that by-law be suspended. A single objection, sir, will stop it, but a unanimous vote will do it. DR. WHITE: I second the motion.

THE PRESIDENT: You hear the motion, gentlemen, on the question of the suspension of the by-law. A permissible proposition, and not a part of the constitution. Is it seconded?

DR. WHITE: I second the motion.

THE PRESIDENT: Moved and seconded that the section of the by-law in Chapter V, Section 4, of the by-laws "And no delegate