246 
EDITORIAL. 
which have succeeded each other in giving - application and 
direction to the co-operating activities of the whole. These 
facts are well known by all its friends, and it is with this grand 
retrospect for their encouragement and inspiration that the 
Association is now preparing to hold its twenty-ninth annual 
meeting in Boston. 
As we stated in our last number, and now emphasize, the 
business which will be introduced at the coming meeting will 
be of unusual interest, and besides the usual committee re¬ 
ports, will include the election of officers, the reading of 
papers, discussions, etc., and will be of special interest by 
reason of the arrangements which will be determined upon in 
relation to the meeting which is to be held the following year 
during the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. 
One of the important subjects to be determined at the 
coming meeting, and which needs to be carefully considered, 
is the election of the board of officers, principally that of pres¬ 
ident. It has been customary for some years back to choose 
for that position gentlemen who were already incumbents of 
the place, and the usage has become so uniform that a re-elec¬ 
tion after one term was almost looked upon as a conceded 
prerogative, and a first election has, therefore, become, prac¬ 
tically equivalent to a nomination for a second term of of¬ 
fice. If this arrangement is still' to be understood to be the 
regular order of the Association, the election to the presi¬ 
dency at the Boston meeting will, accordingly, mean the 
presidency at the Chicago International Meeting ; and that 
the fact of holding so honorable a position must prove to be 
of great value and dignity in a professional point of view, ncj 
one will question. It is certain that if there aie any am' 
bilious aspirants to the honor, they are already busily prepar 
ing the way to a nomination, and, if we understand matter? 
rightly, some of our best men and most energetic workers 
are already making interest and laying plans for securing th( 
honor of their elevation to the presidental chair. Who woulc 
have thought of such a thing in 1863 ? 
Well, whoever may be the successful aspirant, let the As 
sociation bear in mind that the next two meetings are likel; 
