AmjJu°iy!'i906arm'}     The  American  Medical  Association.  345 
of  some  of  the  worst  and  vilest  nostrums  by  which  the  people  of  the  United 
States  have  been  defrauded.  It  is  obvious  that  such  practices  cannot  be  too 
severely  condemned,  especially  if  the  patronage  and  confidence  of  the  medical 
profession  is  to  be  retained. 
(5 )  The  Section  strongly  condemns  the  revolting  evils  which  have  been  shown 
to  exist  in  regard  to  foods  and  food  supplies,  especially  the  meat-packing 
industry.  In  the  fundamental  interests  of  the  people  such  evils  must  be  con- 
trolled by  appropriate  and  adequate  legislation,  which  we  strongly  urge  as  a 
paramount  duty  of  our  National  Congress. 
In  connection  with  the  question  we  wish  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  antisep- 
tics and  preservatives  cannot  mitigate  in  any  degree  the  dangers  from  decayed 
or  decaying  meat.  Antiseptics  may  destroy  putrefactive  organisms,  but  they 
cannot  neutralize  toxines  or  ptomaines.  Any  contention  to  the  contrary  is 
unsound,  and  meat  that  requires  such  treatment  is  totally  unfit  for  food,  inas- 
much as  it  still  contains  poisons  of  virulent  and  dangerous  character. 
(6)  The  Section  notes  with  regret,  in  examining  the. commercial  exhibit,  that 
the  degree  of  selection  which  the  members  of  the  Association  have  a  right  to 
expect  and  demand  has  not  been  exercised.  As  a  prevention  of  further  abuse 
in  this  direction,  at  future  meetings  we  would  recommend  that  all  pharma- 
ceuticals be  indiscriminately  excluded  from  the  commercial  exhibit,  or  that  pro- 
visions be  made  for  a  committee  on  exhibit  from  this  Section,  which  committee 
shall  be  empowered  to  exercise  full  supervision  in  the  matter  and  co-operate 
with  the  local  committee. 
H.  Edwin  Lewis,  New  York, 
S.  Sous  Cohen,  Philadelphia, 
Heinrich  Stern,  New  York, 
Committee. 
Prominent  among  the  attending  pharmacists  was  Prof.  Henry 
P.  Hynson,  of  Baltimore,  the  chairman  of  the  delegation  from  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  who  extended  the  hearty 
felicitations  of  that  association  and  was  also  ever  on  the  alert  to 
defend  the  pharmacist,  his  vocation  and  his  rights,  whenever  occa- 
sion offered. 
Among  other  members  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Associa- 
tion who  attended  the  meetings  of  the  Section  on  Pharmacology  and 
Therapeutics  were  :  C.  S.  N.  Hallbergand  W.  A.  Puckner,  Chicago  ; 
C.  Lewis  Diehl,  Louisville  ;  Charles  Caspari,  Jr.,  Baltimore;  Lyman 
F.  Kebler  and  Reid  Hunt,  Washington,  D.C.;  Robert  A.  Hatcher, 
Thomas  P.  Cook  and  Caswell  A.  Mayo,  New  York ;  Wm.  Wescott, 
Atlantic  City  ;  S.  A.  D.  Sheppard  and  Professor  Scoville,  Boston  ; 
and  Prof.  S.  P.  Sadtler  and  M.  I.  Wilbert,  Philadelphia. 
The  officers  of  the  Section  on  Pharmacology  and  Therapeutics  for 
the  coming  year  are  :  Dr.  H.  C.  Wood,  Jr.,  Philadelphia,  chairman ; 
Dr.  Henry  R.  Slack,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  vice-chairman ;  Dr.  C.  S.  N. 
