F. 



REPORT OF THE 

 COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL LITERATURE. 



The Committe on Medical Literature was appointed to prepare 

 "an annual report on the general character of the periodical medi- 

 cal publications of the United States, in reference to the more im- 

 portant articles therein presented to the profession, on original 

 American medical publications, on medical compilations and com- 

 pends by American writers, on American reprints of foreign medical 

 works, and on all such measures as may be deemed advisable for 

 encouraging and maintaining a national literature of our own." 



In presenting the first report upon this subject to the Association, 

 the committee thought it desirable to take a summary retrospect of 

 what has been done in the several branches brought under their con- 

 sideration, before proceeding to examine the more recent labours in 

 the same department. It has seemed to the committee that the 

 duties of those who should succeed them in after years, would be 

 rendered more useful and at the same time less onerous, by this 

 general survey of the whole field which has been traversed. Much 

 of the tediousness of the long array of names which have been una- 

 voidably enumerated, would be avoided in the future annual sum- 

 maries, and many points would, doubtless, be developed, which the 

 length of this report, if no other reason, has suppressed or crowded 

 into narrow limits. It is proper to state that the materials within 

 the reach of the committee were by no means complete, especially 

 in what relates to periodical literature, and that, with every disposi- 

 tion to do impartial justice, they have not always had the means of 

 obtaining complete series of journals, and have sometimes been re- 

 duced to a few disconnected numbers. 

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