THE MICROSCOPE. 39 
Editovial Department. 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY. 
HE sixth annual meeting of this society was held.at Chicago, 
August 7th, 8th, 9th and roth, 1883. 
On page 268 are printed these words: ‘Remarks were made by 
Dr. Fell, Prof. McCalla, Mr. Griffith and the Secretary, concerning 
the proceedings. They thought tt desirable to tssue the annual volume 
at as early a date as practicable after adjournment.” 
Just five months after adjournment the proceedings are mailed 
to the members and are now before us for review. 
The printer has given better work than last year, although in 
our opinion he should have been authorized to trim the copies as 
they come from the press. The majority of the members do not 
have their copies bound, hence the present condition of the copies 
is both untidy and unhandy. 
Must we wait in this way, year after year, for our annual pro- 
ceedings? Is it necessary to deprivé the members of the value of 
these papers until nearly half of the year has passed by? The pro- 
ceedings of our State Medical Societies are in the hands of the 
members in thirty days from the date of adjournment. Had the 
persons in authority chosen to accept some of our freely offered advice 
just prior to the last meeting, then we too could have had our pro- 
ceedings in, at the latest, thirty days from adjournment. 
On the other hand great credit is due the publishing commit- 
tee, and more particularly the secretary, for giving so much of their 
valuable time to the Society. While tney are held responsible for the 
delay, yet the true source of the trouble rests with one or two 
authors of papers, who, it seems, think more of their own conve- 
nience than they do of the wishes of hundreds of their associates. 
Granting that their papers are as vaiuable as they are lengthy, 
it is still a question with us, whether by thus delaying the legitimate 
work of the society, they are in the end an aid or not. 
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN BUSINESS HOUSES. 
WO important changes have been made in well known houses 
since the first of January. The Philadelphia house of R. 
and J. Beck, so long under the management of Mr. Walmsley, has 
