46.

preliminary examination of medical students. The mainopinions expressed were that the standard of examina-tion should be raised and should be the same throughout theUnited Kingdom and that a period of not less than fouryears should elapse between the announcement of such achange and its enforcement.-On the motion of Dr. NORMANMOORE, seconded by the SENIOR CENSOR (Dr. Cheadle) thereport was adopted.

Several communications were received, amongst whiowere the following:

1. From Dr. T. Frank, presenting .6100 to the CollegeEndowment Fund.-On the motion of the TREASURER (SirDyce Duckworth), seconded by the SENIOR CENSOR, a voteof thanks was accorded to Dr. Frank for his great munificenceand kindly consideration towards the College.

2. From the solicitor to the executors of Dr. ThomasBlackall, deceased, announcing the bequest by him to theCollege of the portrait of his father, Dr. John Blackall,F.R.C.P., of Exeter, by R. R Reinagle.-Dr. NORMANMOORE, in proposing a vote of thanks to the executors,referred to the work of Dr. John Blackall on dropsy andmentioned that he was one of the first to draw attentionto the coagulation by heat of albumin in the urine and toassociate this test with dropsy and disease of the kidney.-Sir SAMUEL WiLKS seconded the motion which was carried.

3. From Dr. J. Weir Mitchell, asking permission to havea copy made of the portrait of Sydenham by Mary Beale inthe possession of the College. The request was granted.

4. From Mr. Trimmer, reporting certain proceedings ofthe Council of the College of Surgeons on May llth andenclosing a copy of the judgment of the court dismissing therecent appeal of the College against assessment for corpora-tion duty.

5. From the Royal Institute of Public Health, invitingthe College to join in urging the Government to appointa medical officer to the Education Department. Aftersome discussion, in which the PRESIDENT, Sir RICHARD

THORNE, Dr. WARNER, and Dr. SYMES THOMPSONtook part, Dr. PYE-SMITH proposed and the TREASURERseconded, that the paper lie on the ’table." This wascarried.The President then dissolved the Comitia.

METROPOLITAN COUNTIES BRANCH OFTHE BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

MR. BRYANT UPON MEDICAL AID SOCIETIES.

AT a meeting of the Metropolitan Counties Branch of theBritish Medical Association on June 20th Mr. Thomas Bryantas President delivered his inaugural address. Havingthanked the Association for the honour which they had con-ferred upon him by electing him president, he said that hefelt that that Association of medical men ought to be a

useful and active factor in moulding public as well as pro-fessional opinion into such lines as should be conduciveto public and professional interests, for whilst pro-fessional interests must naturally take the first placeit should never be forgotten that the main pur-

pose of their existence as a profession was for the

public advantage. Under these circumstances it was

important that in all they did, either as individuals or incombination, they should avoid, even in appearance, every-thing which might seem to the non-professional mind to

savour of professional rather than of public advantage andthey should never forget that they were professional men andnot tradesmen. Mr. Bryant said that there were evils inthe pursuit of their calling which wanted a remedy-some connected with their public relations, others moreassociated with their own body. He thought that theinterests of the profession and those of the publicwere identical: when the profession advanced in skill,knowledge, and character, the public prospered with it ;when the profession slept or lapsed into bad ways the publicsuffered. Under these circumstances no blame could bebrought against those who sought for means to either relieveor cure the troubles which affected their body and hebelieved that it would be their best policy to amend theirways where amendment was called for before venturing to I

touch public interests. Public opinion was beginning to appre-, ciate the value to the community of past professional scien-: tific work in the prevention and cure of disease and the relief

of pain, and under such circumstances it was less likely than,formerly to depreciate the value of their services if they

were true to themselves and to the profession of their

adoption. To carry out these objects some relied upon reformof the Medical Acts and of the General Medical Council,

i whilst others looked to the great medical corporations.for assistance. Mr. Bryant thought that these cries for

help to the medical corporations and the General MedicalCouncil, with suggestions to reform the Medical Acts, hadsomething humorous in their nature, although some-

improvement in the Medical Acts might reasonably be calledfor. Indeed, these cries reminded him of some sayings ofSydney Smith, that when A sees B in grievous distress hisconscience always urges him to entreat C to help him andthat the strongest test of the power of a charity sermon ismade manifest when the sermon has so influenced a heareras to induce him to put his hand into his neighbour’s pocket,in order that he himself may subscribe liberally to the causeadvocated. With respect to the General Medical CouncilMr. Bryant asked them to recognise that it was a bodywhich was created in 1858 in the interests of the publicto regulate the qualifications of practitioners in medicineand surgery and to enable the public to distinguish qualifiedfrom unqualified men. It had no other name than theGeneral Council of Medical Education and Registration andno other disciplinary powers than those required for keepingthe Medical Register pure, for which purpose it was giventhe power of striking off the Register the name of, or ofsuspending, any medical practitioner who had been con-victed of felony or who had been found guilty of what theCouncil might conside "infamous conduct." It had

nothing to do with regulating professional action or

competition except with reference to registration, andunder these circumstances the Council always took a publicrather than a professional view of every case or subjectthat came before it for judgment. Acting on this

principle the Council, having for years set its faceagainst the employment of unqualified assistants to do thework of qualified men, had finally pronounced in a verydefinite way against " covering and the employment of un-qualified assistants, this conclusion having been based uponthe view that such a practice was primarily injurious to publicinterests and secondarily to professional interests. On thesame principle the Council protected titles so that the publicshould not be misled, and with a like object it had latelytaken up the question of medical aid associations and hadappointed a committee of its body, of which he (Mr.Bryant) was one, to report upon the subject, particularlyin its public aspect, and in the work of the com-

mittee it had come out that there were two classes ofmedical aid associations, one worked by insurance or

other commercial companies and the other a development offriendly societies. With the insurance and commercial com-panies there could be no sympathy, and no words which theGeneral Medical Council could utter would have the smallestinfluence upon their conduct ; whilst the law was in theirfavour they would last, so long as they were successful. The

pity was that medical men could be so misled as to seltthemselves to such taskmasters and to undertake pro-fessional work which they must know was not likely to be ofbenefit to the public upon terms which could not possibly be-remunerative to themselves. It would be wrong for theGeneral Medical Council to pronounce all men associatedwith such societies guilty of infamous conduct andto take them off the Register. There might be shownpity for their folly and condemnation for their actionand at the same time an attempt might be made toinfluence them to mend their ways. The followingresolution which was passed by the General Medical Councilon June 6th might help the cause and in the future blossominto something stronger: That the Council strongly dis-approve of medical practitioners associating themselves withmedical aid associations by which systematic canvassing andadvertising for the purpose of procuring patients are prac-tised." With friendly societies there was hope that goodmight come from negotiations which were still in progressbetween the representatives of friendly societies and thecommittee of the Council and that many of, if not all of, thedifficulties which now existed between the friendly societiesand their medical officers would become adjusted. Witbrespect to the medical corporations they were now, as they

47

had been in the past, ready to consider every case of real orsuspected misconduct when such had been rightly placedbefore them. But it was to be recognised that these

corporations were not prosecuting bodies and that theyexpected the evidence of error in any individual case tobe so placed before them that they could adjudicate uponthe case with safety. The evidence could only be broughtunder their notice by their own members, and it wasbetter that such should be brought together by some

organisation of medical men rather than by an individual. z’

As to organisation as a means of correcting the evilswhich affected their profession, Mr. Bryant said that hewas a believer in its value-for it meant self-help,individual or combined, which was likely to be more

-efficacious than the wild cry to councils and corpora-tions. But this medical organisation must not be laidon trades union lines and no selfish or unworthy motivesshould be its motor powers, It must not be ofan overwhelming kind, although part of it was to bethe great British Medical Association, neither must itbe endowed with prosecuting powers (let the prosecutingpowers remain in the hands of the defence associationswhich had proved their competency to do the work providedfor them); it should be of a local or district character,and should include, if possible, all the medical men ofthe district. Its objects should be "professional" and"social," and whilst every efEort should be employed torender its medical meetings of value and interest as a

medical society its social meetings should be of no less import-ance. Vulgar methods of conducting work which injured theprofession would probably soon be given up by the offend-ing members, and the suggestion that at the next annualmeeting the re-election of the recalcitrant member mighthave to be considered would probably bring about the desiredresult. As soon as the reprehensible practices were givenup the erring brother might be re-elected, for the object ofthe society would be to raise the profession in its districtand for this purpose anything like persecution was to becondemned. Mr. Bryant suggested that where branches ofthe British Medical Association existed such should be usedfor the purposes indicated and that each board shouldinstitute a " social " side. The quiet influence of suchsocieties scattered broadcast over this country could havenothing but good effects upon the profession as a

body. Any differences between rival practitioners wouldby the councils of these societies be readily adjustedand all questions of difficulty between public bodiesand their professional workers would be more readilysolved, but each council must be sure, before comingto its decision, that it had looked at the matter as

fully from its public as from its professional aspect, for thepublic had their rights and no professional requirementswould ever be allowed to override them. Mr. Bryant, inbringing his remarks to a close, said that the scheme was oneof self-help all round and if carried out in a reasonable spiritit must work for public and for professional good, for theprofession would by the scheme laid down be working withthe General Medical Council and the corporations in purify-ing the whole body and in so doing it would be learningsomething more of the purposes and objects for which thesebodies were originally formed. He trusted that they wouldgive his suggestions careful thought, for they were based upona desire to encourage self-help and to discourage the cry foroutside assistance which was so inimical to all improvement.

BRISTOL HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN.-An"At Home" was held at the Victoria Rooms, Clifton, bythose interested in this hospital. It was reported thatthere was a deficit of 2811 at the end of 1898. After aconsiderable discussion, in which the High Sheriff statedthat the committee were anxious to clear off the debt whichhad been increasing, about 30 ladies promised to canvass thevarious districts of Bristol and to collect subscriptions for thehospital.INSANITARY DWELLINGS.-At the meeting of the

Newton Abbot Rural District Council, held on June 21st,attention was drawn to the sanitary condition of Hennock,where it as stated that there were only three closets for93 people. The medical officer mentioned that at a house at

Chudleigh he had found the closet under the staircase in atwo-roomed house ; he also complained of the ventilation ofthe schools at Heathlield.

METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL SUNDAYFUND.

THE following were among the principal amounts receivedat the Mansion House during the past week in aid of thisFund. The total now exceeds £42,000 :—

.&bgr; g. d.St. Peter, Vere-street .................. 353 19 8St. Luke, Nutford-place .........,....... 113 3 10Church of the Annunciation, Bryanston-street ...... 200 0 0Holy Trinity, Knightsbridge ...... ,., ... " 118 5 7St. James, Claphani-park .................. 105 1 7St. Marylebone Presbyterian Church ............ 80 15 8St. James, i4lucwell-hill .................. 50 5 8Acton Parish Church and Mission ............ 42 8 0Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church......... 74 15 5All Saints, Ulapham-park............." .., 48 18 3Christ Church, Highbury .................. 47 18 9St. Margaret, Barking .................. 40 6 8All Saints, St. John’s Wood ............... 40 12 0Waltham Abbey Churches.................. 42 9 7Camden Church, Cainl)e!7well ............ ", 69 12 4St. Mary Magdalene, Paddington ............ 31 19 0St. Mark, Kennington .................. 30 7 4St. Margaret, Westminster.................. 180 7 1Christ Church, Gipy-MU .................. 121 9 1All Saints. Ennismore Gardens (with additions) ...... 409 14 3St. Paul, Camden-square .................. 54 9 5St. Mary, Stoke Newington, Parish Church, 65; Old)Church, E45 5s. 2d.; Mission of the Holy Redeemer, S 144 17 3BM 12s, ld...................... ,

Heath-street Baptist Chapel, Hampstead .......,. 51 4 4Lewisham Parish Church .................. 62 6 4St. John Baptist, Leytonstone ............... 23 0 0St. Mark, Notting-hiil .................. 27 3 6St. Mary, Newington, and St. Gabriel’s Mission ...... 25 13 0Carmelite Church, Kensington ............... 36 2 0St. Andrew, South Streatham ...............

22 5 9Miss Morice .....................

25 0 0St. Mary, Hornsey-rise ..................

32 12 6

Holy Trinity, Northwood ............... 24 18 9

Bloomsbury Baptist Chapel .............., 21 14 3

Christ Church, Westminster ............... 20 0 0

St. Alban, Holborn ... 34 18 3Blackheath Wesleyan Church .......... 21 15 7Streatham Hill Congregational Church ......... 21 0 0St. Luke, Chelsea, Parish Church (with additions) ...... 59 11 11St. Andrew, Stoke Newington .............. 63 8 7Christ Church, Southgate .................. 60 0 0St. Saviour, Southwark ..................

28 10 3St. John, Ealing Dean ............ 28 12 0Hammersmith Parish Church ............... 29 5 6Mr. W. Mann Crosq, C.C ................... 25 0 0St. Thomas, Streatham ..................

32 6 5Keston Parish Church ...... 23 0 0Hendon Parish Church .................. 50 2 5

Holy Trinity, Eltham .................. 55 17 6

Holy Trinity, Roehampton.................. 69 9 11Metropolitan Tabernacle .................. 70 0 0

Trinity Presbyterian Church, Notting Hill ... 46 12 0"F. G. D.." a further donation ......... ... 50 0 0St. Paul, Upper Norwood .................. 78 18 2St. John, Upper Norwood .................. 35 2 0St. Mary, Plaistow, Kent 37 14 10St. Mary’s Hospital Chapel, Ilford, (with additions) .., 27 18 0St. Augustine, Highbury .................. 57 2 10Highgate Presbyterian Church ............... 37 3 7St. Luke, South Hackney .................. 30 12 4St. Jude, Chelsea ..................... 25 0 0St. Saviour, Clapham .................. 22 4 11Rectory-place Congregational Church, Woolwich...... 29 18 6

The records of other amounts have betm, ’1’eoeived and wili bgpublished in our next issue.

THE CARE OF THE EMPLOYÉ :THE INAUGURATION OF THE WELLCOME CLUB.

. THE firm of Burroughs, Wellcome, and Co. are to be con-gratulated on the generous care which they have taken to pro-mote the material and intellectual welfare of their employes.First and foremost they have established the eight hours’day ; then they have spared no pains or expense to facilitatethe employment of the leisure thus accorded in a healthymanner. Their principal works are at Dartford, where theyemploy more than 800 persons of both sexes, including some200 scientific workers. But Dartford is a small place andits resources in respect to amusements are very limited.Hence the idea of establishing a club and institute where in-tellectual relaxation c(.n 11 he combined with athletic sports.For this purpose Mr. Wel’rome suoc-2ded in purchasingthe Manor House hn.wn as Acacia Hdl and the extensiveand beautiful grounds in which it is s’tuated. The Manor