772 



SCIENCE, 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 437. 



ination in all of the branches of medicine 

 and surgery in order to secure a license to 

 practice in the state of his adoption. 



To correct this evil it has been suggested 

 by a member of the American Medical As- 

 sociation, and concurred in by others, that 

 a national board of medical examiners be 

 organized; that the board hold examina- 

 tions at different seasons of the year in the 

 various large cities, and that the diploma 

 so obtained shall be recognized as a license 

 to practice in any one or all of the states 

 and territories. The measure suggested 

 seems to be practical and feasible. 



In addition to this plan, it remains to 

 be said that the degree granted by the 

 future university medical school will be 

 undoubtedly recognized as an evidence of 

 fitness to practice in any state in the Union. 

 When we shall have a less number of 

 schools and annual graduates the various 

 states may safely and rationally become 

 more liberal and discriminating in the con- 

 duct of their office. 



THE INFLUENCE OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL 

 ASSOCIATION. 



The American Medical Association should 

 maintain its interest in the elevation of the 

 standard of medical education, one of the 

 chief reasons of its organization. Its in- 

 fluence in former years was principally 

 moral. This was of considerable value, 

 for the reason chiefly of the high ideals of 

 the founders and first members of the as- 

 sociation, who advocated and fought for a 

 higher standard of medical education. In 

 the future its influence should be many 

 fold that of the past, for with the reorgan- 

 ization of the profession, the better meth- 

 ods of conducting its affairs, the increased 

 and probably very large membership, and 

 its great medical journal,, it should wield 

 a great influence for good. 



As the direct agent by which the Amer- 

 ican Medical Association may exert its in- 



fluence in the elevation and control of med- 

 ical education, the Committee on Medical 

 Colleges and Medical Education should be 

 made permanent and should be given ade- 

 quate power and sufficient annual appro- 

 priation to make its work effective. 



This association should, therefore, stand 

 for, and should use its whole power to im- 

 prove, medical education in this country. 

 It is said that we never exceed our ideals 

 in practice, and that if we lower our ideals 

 our conduct sinks to a lower level. 



The American Medical Association should 

 take as its ideal and standard of medical 

 education the university medical college, 

 with all the name implies in regard to the 

 fundamental medical sciences, and to the 

 clinical branches. It should use its influence 

 to drive out of existence those proprietary 

 medical schools which are conducted solely 

 as money-making institutions. These meas- 

 ures can not be accomplished at once; but 

 medical science demands it, the profession 

 demand it, the people demand it, and look 

 to the American Medical Association as 

 the chief influence which shall accomplish 

 this end. Frank Billings. 



Chicago. 



THE RARE EARTH CRV8ADE; WHAT IT 



PORTENDS, SCIENTIFICALLY AND 



TECHNICALLY* 



In the movement of economic and social 

 forces the closed century knew four periods 

 of intensifled activity. In 1775, a memo- 

 rable date in American history. Watt began 

 the manufacture of the steam-engine. Dur- 

 ing the adolescence of our own country 

 revolutions were wrought in the commer- 

 cial world by the invention of the locomo- 

 tive by Trevethick (1801), the loom by 

 Jacquard (1801) , and Fulton steamed upon 

 the Seine. By the beginning of the nine- 

 teenth century the inventions of Watt and 



* A lecture delivered before the Chemists' Club, 

 New York, by request, April 8. 



