One of the greatest problems that looms up before the medical profession and which merits consideration and action is the movement directed towards securing Compulsory Health Insuranc legislation. In our opinion the movement is one that is frought with danger. To deprive any individual of the privilege of putting his life in the hands of a physician of his choice, or, to compel a physician to attend a sick person against his will is a movement contrary to our fixed ideas of freedom and independence. We abhor bureaucracy. We cannot grasp the idealism or the enthusiasm of those self appointed few who pose as so deeply interested in the physical welfare of their neighbors.

The subject is going to be one for editorial discussion in future issues. We invite opinions and comments for we feel it deserves the thoughtful consideration of every Michigan doctor. We propose placing all the facts obtainable before the profession. We are not so optimistic as Dr. Parnall, of the University Hosptial at Ann Arbor, who is quoted by an Ann Arbor paper as stating that "Community health service would be a feature oi the near future." We propose combating any such attempt until the subject has been thoroughly debated and the public and profession are fully conversant with every phase of Compulsory Health Insurance.

We can't just fathom this agitation over an extra hour of daylight. Inasmuch as most of our County Societies adjourn during the summer months and the prohibition law has put the cabarets out of business it doesn't matter whether our summer evenings are shorter by one hour for nothing now happens at night any more. Why worry about the hour?

Recent reports from the Surgeon-General's office impart some startling information regarding the physical defects of drafted men. Inasmuch as these disqualifications were in most instances preventable conditions, had parents and communities been enlightened as to how they could be prevented the figures below merit our consideration. These facts should be driven home to the public in order that future generations may be freed from their disablement. This is matter that merits the con

1,721,304

Disease of the nervous system, except as shown in detail

General Disease, except as shown in de

....

Curvature of the spine

....

Rejected for causes not physical

There is no denying that the activity of our County Societies is at a low water mark. This is true not only for scientific activity but also numerically. Many have allowed their membership to lapse.

The war and its drain u on the resources of our profession is now a thing of the past. We are approaching a winter that promises to be a busy one. We are at the eve of a new epoch. Many innovations are bound to be wrought. As an organization we must become alert and aggressive. Certain ends must be attained and can only be secured through organizational interest and activity. Your county society must have an end towards which to work. It will not then be an aimless society-but one that will reflect new life and energy. Each

county must determine some definite end towards which it shall work-a new City or County Hospital, Inspection of Schools, Public Health,, Venereal Prophylaxis, County laboratory or some similar end. Then there will be recreated a spirit of new activity and your meetings will be practical inspirations. Now is the time to get busy.

"Frederick L. Hoffman, LL.D., third vicepresident and statistician of the Prudential Insurance Company, who is now on an extended Englishtrip, made largely for the purpose of a thorough investigation into the methods and results of National Health Insurance in Great Britain, wrote the editor of this Journal, under date of July 15, 1919, as follows:

I have just finished reading a large amount of original information received from England and I am absolutely of the opinion, in the light of my present knowledge, that National Health Insurance has been decidedly detrimental to the status and wellbeing of the medical profession of Great Britain. The doctors have been reduced to the status of mere clerks or servant of Approved Societies and there has been developed a tendency to the granting of dishonest certificates as an aid to malignering and fraud upon the funds. A large amount of the practitioner's time is taken up with National Health Insurance questions which have nothing to do with the practice of medicine as a healing art. Doctors are continually on trial before Insurance Commissioners for alleged offences against the act, chiefly over-prescribing, with that it is more true of England to-day than of any other country in the world, unless it be Germany, that there is a reign of terror and chaos, in consequence of a fatuous policy of alleged social reform.

The President of the Illinois State Medical Society in his annual address, May, 1919, said:

The organized profession which will have to work under this law does not demand it, organized labor has condemned it, the employers of labor, as represented by the various national organizations, Chambers of Commerce and Civic Federations, have all gone on record as being opposed to it. It is being fostered by and originated with the "American Association for Labor Legislation," which is in no wise connected nor in any way affiliated with organized labor. However, the supporters of this measure have a strong organization to promote its enactment, so strong that it has been successful in enlisting many prominent medical men in its defense, and it will only be by the united team work of the members of this society that it will be defeated in this state."-New Jersey State Medical Journal.

To all of which we agree and feel that here in

Michigan agitation for Compulsory Health Insurance cannot be ignored. We must meet the question square, determine the position we as a Society will assume and then meet the self-appointed idealists so that their "lobbying" will not delude the public or mislead the profession.

Deaths

Dr. Julius Francis Henkel of Detroit died July 22nd at his home, 173 East Grand Boulevard. Dr. Henkel enlisted as a private in the Michigan National Guard in 1891, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and chief surgeon. He reorganized the medical service of the National Guard, and was the first commanding officer of the medical detachment which later became the 168th American ambulance company attached to the Forty-second (Rainbow) division in France.

Surviving are the widow, two brothers, and two sisters.

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF THE MICHIGAN STATE

MEDICAL SOCIETY.

We, the undersigned, being of full age, and desiring to become incorporated under the provisions of Act Number 171, of the Public Acts of Michigan for 1903, entitled "An Act for the incorporation of associations not for pecuniary profit," do hereby make, execute and adopt the following articles of association, to-wit:

ARTICLE I.

The name or title by which said corporation is to be known in law, is the Michigan State Medical Society.

ARTICLE II.

The purpose or purposes for which it is formed, are as follows: To federate and to bring into compact organization the entire medical profession of the State of Michigan and to unite with similar societies in other states to form the American Medical Association; with a view to the extension of medical knowledge, and to the advancement of medical science; to the elevation of the standard of medical education, and to the enactment and enforcement of just medical laws; to the promotion of friendly intercourse among physicians, and to the guarding and fostering of their material interests; and to the enlightenment and direction of public opinion in regard to the great problems of state

medicine, so that the profession shall become more capable and honorable within itself, and more useful to the public in the prevention and cure of disease and in prolonging and adding comfort to life. ARTICLE III.

The principal office or place of business shall be at Battle Creek, County of Calhoun, Michigan. ARTICLE IV.

The term of existence of this proposed corporation is thirty years.

ARTICLE V.

The number of trustees or directors shall be nineteen.

ARTICLE VI.

The names of the trustees or directors selected for the first year of its existence are as follows:

J. Henry Carstens, Virgil L. Tupper, Emil H. Webster, James F. Breakey, Rosingrave M. Eccles, Wilfrid Haughey, George F. Inch, Andrew P. Biddle, Albert E. Bulson, William H. Haughey, Alvin H. Rockwell, Ralph H. Spencer, Aurther M. Hume, William J. Kay, Arthur L. Seeley, Bartlett H. McMullen, Charles H. Baker, William T. Dodge, Charles J. Ennis.

ARTICLE VII.

The qualifications required of officers and members are as follows:. All members in good standing of the Component County Medical Societies shall be considered ipso facto members of this Society; physicians in good standing may also be elected to this Society in such manner as may be provided by its constitution and by-laws.

In Witness Whereof, We, the parties hereby associating, have hereunto subscribed our names this day of June, A.D., Nineteen hundred and ten.

J. HENRY CARSTENS,
VIRGIL L. TUPPER,
EMIL H. WEBSTER,

JAMES F. BREAKEY,

ROSINGRAVE M. ECCLES, WILFRID HAUGHEY, GEORGE F. INCH,

ANDREW P. BIDDLE,

ALBERT E. BULSON, WILLIAM H. HAUGHEY, ALVIN H. ROCKWELL, RALPH H. SPENCER,

ARTHUR M. HUME, WILIAM J. KAY, ARTHUR L. SEELEY, BARTLETT H. MCMULLEN, CHARLES H. BAKER,

WILLIAM T. DODGE,

CHARLES J. ENNIS.

(Filed and recorded in the office of the Secretary of State September 17, 1910.)

CONSTITUTION OF THE MICHIGAN STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY.

ARTICLE I-Name of the Society. The name and title of this organization shall be The Michigan State Medical Society.

ARTICLE II-Purposes of the Society.

The purpose of this Society shall be to federate and to bring into one compact organization the entire medical profession of the State of Michigan and to unite with similar Societies in other States to form the American Medical Association; with a view to the extension of medical knowledge, and to the advancement of medical science; to the elevation of the standard of medical education, and to the enactment and enforcement of just medical laws; to the promotion of friendly intercourse among physicians, and to the guarding and fostering of their material interests; and to the enlightenment and direction of public opinion in regard to the great problems of state medicine, so that the profession shall become more capable and honorable within itself, and more useful to the public in the prevention and cure of disease, and in prolonging and adding comfort to life.

ARTICLE III-Component Societies.

Component Societies shall consist of those County Medical Societies which hold charters from this Society.

ARTICLE IV-Composition of the Society. Section 1. This Society shall consist of Members, Delegates, and Honorary Members.

Section 2. The Members of this Society shall be the members of the Component County Medical Societies.

Section 3. DELEGATES. The Delegates shall be those members who are elected in accordance with this Constitution and By-Laws to represent their respective Component County Societies in the House of Delegates of this Society.

Section 4. HONORARY MEMBERS. Honorary members shall be of two classes, resident and non-resident.

Section 5. Resident Honorary Members shall be chosen from those who have practiced medicine not less than twenty-five years and have been active members in good standing of this Society for at least ten years. They shall be nominated by the Council at any of its meetings and may be elected by the House of Delegates at the Annual Meeting following such nomination. They shall have all the privileges of the Society and receive all publications without the payment of dues. Not more than five Resident Honorary Members shall be elected at any one meeting.

Section 6. Any distinguished physician, not a resident of this State, may be elected an Honorary Member, provided he has been nominated by the Council at a previous meeting. Nor more than two non-resident Honorary Members shall be elected at any one meeting.

ARTICLE V-House of Delegates.

The House of Delegates shall be the legislative and business body of the Society, and shall consist of (1) delegates elected by the Component County Societies, and (2) ex-officio, the officers of the Society as defined in this Constitution, without power to vote. (As amended June 28th, 1905.)

ARTICLE VI-Sections and District Societies.

The House of Delegates may provide for a division of the scientific work of the Society into appropriate Sections, and for the organization of such Councilor District Societies as will promote the best interests of the profession, such societies to be composed exclusively of members of the Component County Societies.

ARTICLE VII-Sessions and Meetings. Section 1. The Society shall hold an Annual Session during which there shall be held daily General Meetings, which shall be open to all registered members and delegates.

Section 2. The time and place for holding each Annual Session shall be fixed by the House of Delegates.

ARTICLE VIII-Officers.

Section 1. The officers of this Society shall be a President, four Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Board of Councilors of such number as the House of Delegates, upon recommendation of the Council, may from time to time fix by resolution. (As amended Sept. 28, 1911.)

Section 2. The President and Vice-Presidents shall be elected for a term of one year. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected by the Council at its Annual Meeting in January, and shall hold their offices for one year. The Councilors shall be elected for terms of six years each, these terms being so divided that four Councilors shall be chosen each alternate year. All of these officers shall serve until their successors are elected and installed. (As amended May 15, 1917.)

Section 3. The officers of this Society, not otherwise elected, shall be elected by the House of Delegates on the morning of the last day of the Annual Session; but no Delegate shall be eligible to any office named in the first section, except that of President or Councilor; and no person shall be elected to any such office who has not been a member of this Society for at least two years.

ARTICLE IX-Funds and Expenses. Section 1. Funds for meeting the expenses of the Society shall be provided by a yearly fee of three dollars and fifty cents for each member, payable in advance to the Secretary of the Component County Society, and from the profits of its publication.

Section 2. Funds may be appropriated by the House of Delegates, subject to an approval by the Council, for publication, and for such other purposes as will promote the welfare of the Society and the profession.

ARTICLE X-Reciprocity of Membership Among State Societies.

To broaden professional fellowship among the State Societies, the Michigan State Medical Society, by its President and Secretary, is ready to arrange with other State Medical Societies, having equal requirements, for the interchange of certificates of membership. Members removing from one of these states to another may thus avoid the formalities of re-election.

ARTICLE XI-Referendum.

The General Meeting of the Society may by a two-thirds vote order a general referendum upon any question pending before the House of Delegates, and the House of Delegates may by a similar vote of its own members, or after a like vote of the General Meeting, submit any such question to the members of the Society for a final vote; and, if the persons voting shall comprise a majority of all the members registered at the session, a majority of such vote shall determine the question, and be binding upon the House of Delegates. ARTICLE XII-The Seal.

The Society shall have a Common Seal, with power to break, to change or to renew the same at pleasure.

ARTICLE XIII-Amendments.

The House of Delegates may amend any article of this Constitution by a two-thirds vote of the Delegates registered at that Annual Meeting, provided that such amendment shall have been presented in open meeting at the previous Annual Session, and that it shall have been sent officially to each Component County Society at least four months before the session at which final action is taken.

BY-LAWS OF THE MICHIGAN STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY.

(As Compiled and Subsequent Amendments.) CHAPTER I.-Membership. Section 1. All members of the Component County Societies who are not in arrears for dues, shall be

privileged to attend all meetings and to take part in all the proceedings of the Annual Session, and shall be eligible to any office within the gift of the Society, except as otherwise provided. See Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3.

Any member in arrears for dues to the amount of one year or more may regain membership either by paying up all back dues or by being again elected to membership. (As amended June 29, 1905.) Section 2. The name of a physician upon the properly certified roster of members, or list of delegates, of a chartered County Society shall be prima facie evidence of his right to register at the Annual Session in the respective bodies of the Society.

Section 3. No person who is under the sentence of suspension or expulsion from any Component Society of this Society, or whose name has been dropped from its roll of members, shall be entitled to any of the rights or benefits of this Society; nor shall he be permitted to take part in any of its proceedings until such time as he has been relieved of such disability.

Section 4. Each member in attendance at the Annual Session shall enter his name on the registration book, indicating the Component Society of which he is a member. When his right to membership has been verified by reference to the roster of His Society he shall receive a badge, which shall be evidence of his right to all the privileges of membership at that Session. No member or delegate shall take part in any of the proceedings of the Annual Session until he has complied with the provisions of this section.

CHAPTER II-Annual and Special Sessions of the Society.

Section 1. The Society shall hold an Annual Session at such time and place as has been fixed at the preceding Annual Session.

Section 2. Special sessions of either the Society or the House of Delegates may be called by the President at his discretion or upon petition of twenty delegates.

CHAPTER III-General Meetings.

Section 1. The General Meetings shall include all registered members and delegates, who shall have equal rights to participate in the proceedings and discussions, and to vote on pending questions. Each General Meeting shall be presided over by the President, or in his absence or disability, or by his request, by one of the Vice-Presidents. Before it, at such time and place as may have been arranged, shall be delivered the annual address of the President, and the entire time of the Session, so far as may be, shall be devoted to papers and discussions relating to scientific medicine. (As amended May 25, 1906.)

Section 2. The General Meeting shall have authority to create committees or commissions for scientific investigations of special interest and importance to the profession and public, and to receive and to dispose of reports of the same; but any expense in connection therewith must first be concurred in by the Council.

Section 3. Except by special vote the order of exercises, papers and discussions as set forth in the official program shall be followed from day to day until it has been completed. No paper shall be read by title nor by any other person than its author except as a result of sickness of author, or by unanimous vote of the section to which it belongs. (As amended Sept. 14, 1909.)

Section 4. No address or paper before the Society, except that of the President, shall occupy more than fifteen minutes in its delivery; and no member shall speak longer than five minutes or more than once on any subject. (As amended May 25, 1906.)

Section 5. All papers read before the Society shall be its property. Each paper read shall be deposited immediately with the Secretary, but the author may also publish same in any reputable journal not published in this State, provided the printed article bears the statement that it was "read before the Michigan State Medical Society."

CHAPTER IV-House of Delegates.

Section 1. Each Component County Society shall be entitled to send to the House of Delegates each year one delegate for every 50 members, and one for each major fraction thereof; but each County Society holding a charter from this Society, which has made its annual report as provided in this Constitution and By-Laws, shall be entitled to one delegate.

Section 2. The House of Delegates shall meet annually at the time and place of the Annual Session of the Society, and shall so fix its hours of meeting as not to conflict with the first General Meeting of the Society, or with the meeting held for the address of the President, and so as to give delegates an opportunity to attend the other scientific proceedings and discussions so far as is consistent with their duties. But, if the business interests of the Society and profession require, it may meet in advance, or remain in session after the final adjournment of the General Meeting. (As amended May 25, 1906.) Section 3. A majority of registered delegates shall constitute a quorum. All of the meetings of the House of Delegates shall be open to members of the Society.

Section 4. It shall consider and advise as to the interest of the profession, and of the public in