100 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIT. No. 552. 



the most potent instrument in building up 

 this association to its present proud position 

 as the largest medical organization in the 

 world. No other American medical period- 

 ical has a circulation so distinctly national, 

 and no other journal can sustain the same 

 relation to the great body of the medical 

 profession. It is a great engine whose 

 power is constantly increasing, constantly 

 extending. With such increased power 

 comes increased responsibility, much of 

 Avhich rests with the house of delegates in 

 the selection of proper men tO' fill the re- 

 sponsible places of the trustees. No other 

 office should be regarded higher in honor 

 than that of the trustees, as no other affords 

 greater scope for unselfish labor and effi- 

 cient service to the association. Under the 

 conditions of our organization more power 

 is invested in this board than the combined 

 power of all other officers, 



THE NEW ERA. 



At the annual session of 1900 a com- 

 mittee on reorganization was appointed, 

 and one year later, at St. Paul, the report of 

 the committee was submitted and adopted. 

 It included a new constitution, which 

 altered the basis of apportionment for dele- 

 gates, so as to reduce the delegate body to 

 150, and definitely established a close rela- 

 tionship between the national organization 

 and the state, district and county societies. 

 For the first time a practical scheme of com- 

 plete organization of the medical profession 

 of the United States was provided. This is 

 the fourth annual session held under the 

 new plan of organization. 



Previous to the reorganization, the valu- 

 able scientific work of the sections consti- 

 tuted almost the sum total 6i the effective 

 work accomplished by the association. Mat- 

 ters appertaining to medical education, to 

 the public health, to national legislation 

 and to the welfare of the profession re- 



ceived no deliberate consideration; and in 

 consequence no decisive action was carried 

 out. This condition existed for the reasons 

 already mentioned. In a word, the very 

 objects and aims for which the association 

 was organized were thwarted by the growth 

 of the association into an unwieldy dele- 

 gate body. Under the reorganization, the 

 house of delegates, in which the member- 

 ship of the state societies is proportionately 

 represented, now gives deliberate consid- 

 eration to those important matters, already 

 indicated, which under the former organ- 

 ization were neglected. 



The influence of the revised plan of or- 

 ganization was immediately apparent in the 

 increased attendance at the annual sessions, 

 and the stimulus felt in every purpose of 

 the association. And each year this in- 

 fluence has grown, until some idea can now 

 be formed of the great possibilities to come 

 from organization on a definite and prac- 

 tical plan. The good results which accrue 

 to the profession as a whole, and to every 

 member as an individual, are so positive 

 that no subject can deserve more careful 

 consideration by this body than that of 

 medical organization. Indeed, it is the 

 fundamental question before us, and on its 

 decision depend the results of all our other 

 efforts in all directions. 



In order that we may thoroughly ap- 

 preciate the origin and purpose of the asso- 

 ciation, and thereby be better prepared to^ 

 meet its present and future requirements,. 

 I have very imperfectly outlined the his- 

 tory of its earlier years. During the more 

 than half century of its existence it has. 

 always brought to its councils the ablest 

 and best men in the profession of America. 

 Among its leaders from the beginning are 

 found the most eminent physicians an.d sur- 

 geons of the day. In the list of its active 

 members are the names of Samuel D. Gross, 

 Paul F. Eve, Austin Flint, Marion Sims,. 



