mittee which the President appointed to consider several amendments to the constitution that were suggested this morning. The President: The two amendments regarding the salaries of the secretary and treasurer belong strictly for action to the Council. They have already voted a salary to the secretary. The matter will lie over until tomorrow morning. Dr. Arthur B. Coleburn (Middletown): Mr. President and Members of the House of Delegates: There is one matter that I have been not exactly requested to bring up but which I want to bring up at this time. You probably all knew it before, but it has again been brought to your attention today that there'is quite an alarming increase in insanity not only in Connecticut but throughout the United States and Europe. There is a movement on foot in Europe to investigate the causes of the increase in insanity and to take what steps are possible to stop it. In New York City the New York Psychiatrical Society have appointed a committee to look into the matter, and I think that Connecticut ought to be in the forefront in this matter. I am at liberty to say that our President will call attention to this matter in his annual address. I would therefore offer this resolution: Resolved, That the Connecticut Medical Society take favorable action upon the recommendation of the President of this Society, to be presented in his annual address, on the subject of the increase of insanity in this State; and that the President of this Society be requested to appoint a committee of five, whose duties shall be to investigate the causes of the increase of insanity in this State and to consider the desirability of establishing psychopathic wards in general hospitals, giving power to this committee to act as an advisory board to the trustees of such hospitals as request their aid in carrying out the recommendation of this Society. Resolution adopted unanimously. The President subsequently appointed as this committee: Dr. Allen R. Diefendorf (Middletown), Dr. Frederick T. Simpson (Hartford), Dr. Max Mailhouse (New Haven), Dr. D. Chester Brown (Danbury), and Dr. J. Reed Topping (Bridgeport). Dr. W. H. Donaldson (Fairfield): Mr. President, I should like to propose an amendment to Sec. 2, Chap. VII of the ByLaws, relating to the council. This section says: "The Council shall meet daily," etc. Further on it says: 'It shall elect a chairman and a clerk, who, in the absence of the Secretary of the Society, shall keep a record of the proceedings." My amendment would thus alter the reading: "It shall, also, elect a chairman and a clerk, who, in the absence of the President or Secretary, shall perform the duties of these offices." As it reads at present we have really a double-headed Society. The chairman of the council, at times, really supersedes the President of the Society, and when the council meets the President is simply a member of this body. He is overshadowed by the chairman of the council. The duties of the President are that he shall be the real head of the profession of the state during his term of office. But when he comes into the council he is merely a secondary consideration, and it does not seem to me to be in keeping with the dignity of the office of President that he shall be secondary in the office of the Society. I think that when he is in the council he should be the ranking officer. I consequently offer this amendment to Sec. 2, Chap. VII of the By-Laws. The President: It will lie over until tomorrow and be acted on then. The report of the special committee to consider the recommendations in the reports of the President, Secretary, and Chairman of the Council, was then read by Dr. Frank K. Hallock (Cromwell), as clerk of this committee. Report of Special Committee. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates: The committee to whom was referred the recommendation contained in the report of the President, Secretary, and Board of Councilors respectfully report that they have had the same under consideration and recommend the adoption of the following motions: I. Moved, That Chap. VIII of the By-Laws be amended by inserting in Sec. 1, after the words "A Committee on Public Policy and Legislation," the words "A Committee on Medical Examination and Medical Education," "A Committee on Honorary Members." That Sec. 4 be changed to Sec. 6; that there be inserted as Sec. 4 the following: Sec. 4. The Committee on Medical Examination and Medical Education shall consist of five members who shall be appointed in accordance with section 4717 of the general statutes of the State of Connecticut. The committee shall conduct the medical examinations of candidates for certificates of qualification for license to practice medicine in the state in accord with the requirements of the medical practice act. It shall annually present a written report to the House of Delegates. The committee shall also be a committee on medical education and shall co-operate with the council of education of the American Medical Association in the effort to elaborate the standard of medical education in the United States. Section 5. The committee on Honorary Members shall present annually to the House of Delegates the names of not more than three eminent physicians, not residents of this state, as candidates for honorary membership in this society. Such candidates may be elected honorary members in accordance with the provisions of Chap. I, Sec. 8, of the By-Laws. Your committee report back to the House of Delegates the matter of an appropriation of $250 in furtherance of the erection of a memorial to Dr. N. S. Davis, the founder of the A. M. A., and recommend that it be taken up by the House of Delegates as a committee of the whole. II. Moved, That the early volumes of our minutes be deposited in the vaults of the State Library, under the custody of the State Librarian, Mr. George S. Godard, in the Capitol at Hartford, and that the secretary be instructed to extend to Mr. Godard the thanks of the society. III. Moved, That the Board of Councilors be constituted the nominating committee of the Society, and that they make a report as such to the House of Delegates on the first day of the general session. After this report has been submitted an opportunity shall be given for other nominations to be made. IV. Moved, That the secretaries of the county associations be instructed to make semi-annual reports after the spring and fall meetings, instead of annually after the spring meeting. V. Moved, That the secretary be instructed to secure an alter ation of our seal so that it shall read: Sigillum Societatis Medicalis Civitatis Connecticutensis. VI. Moved, That the secretaries of the county associations be instructed to prepare card indexes of the members and non-affiliated physicians in their respective counties as required by the By-Laws, VII. Moved, That Chap. II, Sec. 1, be amended by adding the words: "The annual tax shall be collected from all such members except the secretaries of County Medical Associations, but the taxes of any member may be remitted by vote of the House of Delegates upon recommendation of any County Medical Association." VIII. Moved, That Chap. XII, Sec. 3, be amended by inserting the following: "Any County Medical Association may suspend or expel any member who is guilty of improper or unprofessional conduct, by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at any regular meeting, provided due notice has been given on the programme of said meeting at least ten days before its session. When from any cause a member of the Connecticut State Medical Society ceases to be a member of one of the component County Medical Associations, his membership in the Connecticut State Medical Society shall terminate, but," IX. Moved, That there be added as Sec. 11, of Chap. XII, the following: "The several County Medical Associations shall have power to adjourn; to call special meetings, as they shall deem expedient; and to adopt such by-laws as they find desirable not contrary to the laws of this state or the charter and by-laws of the Connecticut State Medical Society." Respectfully submitted, E. J. MCKNIGHT, It was moved and adopted that the report be received, and then that the consideration of the adoption of the proposed amendments. to the By-Laws, mentioned in the report, be postponed until the next session of the House of Delegates. Dr. E. J. McKnight (Hartford): Mr. President, I move that the Board of Councilors be hereby appointed a nominating committee to report immediately preceding the election of officers after the reading of the minutes, tomorrow morning. This seems necessary in view of the by-laws, which say the election of officers shall be the first business after the reading of the minutes, but nominations being necessary for such action, I don't think it conflicts with the By-Laws. Motion adopted unanimously. The Secretary then read the following communication which he had received from Dr. W. S. Barnes, the Secretary of the New Haven County Medical Association, with the request that he present it before the Society. To the New Haven Medical Association: Your committee appointed at the meeting held September 6th, 1905, to report upon a fesolution submitted at that meeting, said resolution having reference to the prevention of typhoid fever, begs leave to report as follows: We recommend the adoption of the following resolution as expressing the sense of this Association; and we further recommend that it be transmitted to the several County Medical Societies of the State, and be brought before the Connecticut Medical Society at its next meeting. The New Haven Medical Association, mindful of the occurrence in our State of typhoid fever, a preventable disease; and of the urgency of the problem of the disposal of sewage so as to avoid the pollution of the water supplies; and of the vital importance of the immediate attention to these hitherto too much neglected problems; makes the following recommendation: That under the direction of the State Board of Health, a Sanitary Survey of the state be undertaken, said survey to take special cognizance of: 1. The several drainage areas of the State with reference to the public water supplies needed at the present time and for fifty years in the future. 2. The most practicable methods for the disposal of sewage in cities, towns and shore resorts. |