July 4, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



35 



cause of the large membersliip of the House 

 it is clear that much of its work must be done 

 through committees, just as the work of Con- 

 gress and of our State legislatures is accom- 

 plished. Yet we must have ample provision for 

 free debate upon important topics before they 

 are finally passed upon. We are gratified to 

 learn that the new Business Committee which 

 will arrange a program for the next meeting 

 of the House already has under consideration 

 a plan to bring out full discussion in such a 

 way as to ensure no interference with the de- 

 cisiveness of final action. "With this provided 

 for the House of Delegates will be fully enti- 

 tled to the respect, confidence and suport of 

 all American physicians. — American Medicine. 



The House of Delegates. — This new legis- 

 lative body of the American Medical Associa- 

 tion gave ample evidence that it can dispatch 

 work much more efficiently than was possible 

 in the general session heretofore. It con- 

 tained many representative men, who showed 

 a willingness to devote themselves to its busi- 

 ness at no little sacrifice to themselves. It 

 had to struggle against some disadvantages, 

 due to the newness of the work and to the 

 fact that an imtimely fire at Saratoga drove 

 it from its original quarters. The urbanity of 

 President Wyeth and his rather low articula- 

 tion were, perhaps, not conducive to a quick 

 dispatch of business, but after the first day the 

 progress made was more expeditious. This 

 first experience has proved several things. 

 The sessions should, if possible, be held at 

 times when the sections for scientific work are 

 not in session. Many men were' kept from 

 reading papers because they were conscien- 

 tiously attending the House of Delegates. 

 Others remained away from the House, be- 

 cause the sections were more interesting. If 

 this is allowed to continue, the House will 

 soon be attended by few others than the po- 

 litical wire-pullers who have at times domi- 

 nated the affairs of the Association to its 

 disadvantage. The House would do better 

 to meet early in the morning or in the 

 evening during the time devoted to en- 

 tertainments than during the time as- 

 signed for section work. It is probable 



that one of the vice-presidents or chair- 

 men elected by itself should be selected to 

 occupy the chair in most cases, so that the 

 President might be free for social and scien- 

 tific duties. The President of the Association 

 is usually elected for scientific services ren- 

 dered to the profession and the public, and is 

 not necessarily a good parliamentarian. The 

 House of Delegates should be empowered to 

 select a man with a strong voice, a strong 

 backbone and a knowledge of jjarliamentary 

 law, combined with absolute impartiality to 

 preside over its deliberations. This would 

 insure sessions beginning at the exact minute 

 agreed upon and would dispatch business in 

 a quick, just and efilcient way. On the whole 

 the House of Delegates was, and promises to 

 continue to be, a success. — Philadelphia Medi- 

 cal Journal. 



TEE ELIZABETH THOMPSON SCIENCE 

 FUND. 



On June 9, 1902, the twenty-seventh meet- 

 ing of the Board of Trustees for the Eliza- 

 beth Thompson Science Fund was held at the 

 Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. 



Messrs. Bowditch, Pickering and Minot 

 were present. 



The following officers were elected: 



President, Henry P. Bowditch; Treasurer, 

 Charles S. Rackemann; Secretary, Charles S. 

 Minot. 



The report of the Treasurer, ending May 

 23, 1902, was read and accepted. It shows a 

 balance of income on hand of $2,586.01. 



It was voted to consider as closed the rec- 

 ords of the following Grants : 



33. Julien Fraipont. 



81. John Milne. 



82. W. 0. Atwater. 



86. H. H. Field. 



87. S. H. Scudder. 



88. P. Bachmetjew. 



89. E. S. Faust. 



92. E. W. Scripture. 

 95. F. T. Lewis. 



The Secretary reported that Grant No. 95, 

 of $125, had been made to Dr. F. T. Lewis, 

 Cambridge, Mass., for investigation of the 

 development of the vena cava inferior, being 

 agreed to by correspondence, and that the work 

 had been completed and published. 



