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Special Articles.THE OPENING OF THE NEW BRITISH

MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HOUSE.

ON Monday last, July 13th, His Majesty the Kingopened the new home of the British Medical Associa-tion at Tavistock-square, London.A full hour before the ceremony nearly all the

delegates had taken their places in the Great Hall,and the square between the new memorial gates andthe magnificent buildings was thronged with therepresentatives of the medical colleges and the nursingassociations, along with visitors whose connexion with

Royal Standard broke from the flagstaff above thecentral pediment, and the Artists’ band played theNational Anthem. His Majesty then inspected theguard of honour, commanded by Captain W. CampbellSmith, M.C. The Minister of Health then presentedthe President of the Association, Mr. J. Basil Hall,of Bradford, and the Chairman of Council, Dr. R. A.Bolam, of Newcastle-on-Tyne ; and the Chairman ofthe Council presented Dr. H. B. Brackenbury (Chair-man of the Representative Body of the Association) ;Mr. N. Bishop Harman (Treasurer of the Association) ;Sir Donald MacAlister, Bart. (President of the GeneralMedical Council) ; Sir Humphry Rolleston, Bart.(President of the Royal College of Physicians) ;Sir John Bland-Sutton, Bart. (President of the RoyalCollege of Surgeons) ; Lord Dawson of Penn ; SirGeorge Newman (Chief Medical Officer to the Ministryof Health) ; Sir Edwin Lutyens (the architect of the

Courtyard of the British Melical Association House. [Topical Press Photo.

medicine entitled them to the honour of welcoming ithe King with his medical hosts. The band of the Grenadier Guards was already playing on the circularlawn, and alternated with a hidden string orchestra,also from the Grenadiers, whose music was relayedto the courtyard and the Great Hall by electricalamplifiers. Many visitors occupied a covered standjust outside the gates on the south side. At a quarterto three a guard of honour marched up-the Artists’Rifles-headed by a fife band in silver-grey, and tookpost along the short approach from Tavistock-square,which was brilliantlv decorated with ornamentalcolumns wound with flowers. At five minutes to threeHis Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, escorted bythe President, Mr. J. Basil Hall, the architect, SirEdwin Lutyens, and seven of the leaders of the

profession in Great Britain, offered prayer andsolemnly dedicated the gates to the memory of the574 members of the Association who gave their livesin the war. His Glace then took the key from thearchitect and opened the gates. The Guards played ,the hymn,

" 0 God, our Help " before the dedication Iand " Abide with Me " as the gates swung open.The ceremony was impressive in its sincerity andrestraint.At ten minutes past three the King and Queen

arrived with their attendants, accompanied by -Alr.Neville Chamberlain, the Minister of Health. The

building); and Mr. F. J. Walton (the contractor). Thosewho had been presented then formed a procession andescorted the King and Queen through the courtyardand the main entrance to the Members’ ReceptionRoom. There the Royal visitors met the ReceptionCommittee, and the Chairman of the Council presentedSir Dawson Williams, the Editor of the British MedicalJourizul, and other distinguished medical men andwomen, as well as the representatives of the workmenwho had made the building, and the organising staffwho had directed their work.

Meanwhile the Great Hall, with its cheerful whitewalls and friezes and its peacock-blue columns, held acrowded audience of delegates, who filled floor andgallery, their scarlet gowns and coloured hoodsmaking a brilliant show. The procession mountedthe dais to the enthusiastic singing of the NationalAnthem, and the Chairman of the Council wel-comed His Majesty in an address in which he tracedthe history of the B.l-T.A. since it was founded by SirCharles Hastings in 1832, set out its aims and scope.and mentioned its debt of gratitude to the King, whohad succeeded his father King Edward as Patron.

His Majesty replied most sympathetically. He saidhe felt great pride at succeeding his Royal father asthe patron of such a noble society, and paid tribute tothe splendid work of the B.M.A. in selecting andtraining recruits to the professon, in criticising and

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assisting research, in uniting the medical activitiesof the country, and in maintaining the very highstandards that now governed the practice of medicine.Noble traditions were a priceless possession that mustbe not"only maintained but constantly increased.

Associations. The King and Queen then left theGreat Hall and inspected the library, where the Kingaccepted a copy of an illuminated Roll of Honour, thework of Mr. F. G. Hallett. After a tour of thebuilding and grounds Their Majesties returned to the

He admired especially the promotion of post-graduatestudy. He warned the profession of their deepresponsibility for the general health of the country,and indicated the value of administration in maintain-ing sanitation in factories and public buildings andplaces and in preventing epidemic disease, and also ofthe informal education that the general practitionercan give the laypublic in per-sonal 1 healthand general Ihygiene.He thanked

the Associationon behalf of theQueen for the

reference to herinterest in thepractice ofmedicine bywomen, who

were now activein all itsbranches. Heexpressedespecial plea-sure at the har-mony he ob-served to existbetween the eMedical Asso-ciation int h i s countryand those inthe GreatDominions ofthe Empire, andwas honouredto welcome the representatives of America, France,Holland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

Sir Edwin Lutyens then presented a master key toHis Majesty, who declared the building open, and con-gratulated the members on their new and dignifiedhome.The Chairman of the Council then presented the

representatives of the Home, Imperial, and Foreign

gates and took leave of the President and represen-tatives of the Committee. Mr. Bishop Harman, theTreasurer, led the cheers as the Royal carriagesdrove off.

After the ceremony the building was open to inspec-tion by the guests. As at present completed itcovers an area of 18,000 square feet and has a total

n n

tloor area of

58,000 squarefeet. It is builtin an - austerestyle e of redblick with whitestone facings,and is ap-proached fromTavistock-square by a

short roadway,which will, indue course, bebordered bywings extend-ing out fromthe Associationbuilding.Beneath the eGreat Hall runsa vestibule con-necting theCourt of Honourwith the eentrance inBurton - street,so that c a r s

are able todrive straightthrough after

depositing their passengers. For the owner-driverthere is ample covered parking room behind thebuilding. In the centre of the Court of Honour is acircular grass plot curbed with white stone, while thecorners are paved with flagstones. The gates are ofwrought iron in an eighteenth-century design preparedby Sir Edward Lutyens, painted black, and sur-

mounted by a bronze shield lettered in gold. The

The Great Hall.

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inscriptions on either side of the shield are " Memory I

and Praise " and " Faithful hath been yourwarfare."On either side of the passage-way lie beneath the

Great Hall the members’ lounge and library, thelatter panelled with the rare Spanish mahoganyfamiliar to members in the library at the old building.The former is finished in white and a delicate grey,with narrow black skirting. Beneath these roomsare large basements containing staff dining-rooms andstorage offices. In the basement of the north wing isthe Hastings Hall, capable of seating 150 persons,decorated in white and pale yellow and lighted by in-verted bowls resting on gilt pedestals. Similar in designis the Council room in the basement of the south wing,fitted with tiered seats of green morocco, and linedwith oak panelling bearing the names of past holdersof the high offices of the Association. On the higherfloors are committee rooms, office accommodation forthe editorial, finance, and intelligence departments,and the printing offices.

If this ceremony is an omen of the future of theAssociation, no one need fear for British medicine.In its dignified brevity and order it splendidlyexpressed the unity and purpose of the B.M.A.

They have set themselves a high standard, but no onecan doubt that they will fulfil it.

BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION:ANNUAL MEETING AT BATH.

PROGRAMME OF THE SCIENTIFIC SECTIONS.THESE sections will meet from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M.

on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, July 22nd,23rd, and 24th, for papers and discussions, and it ishoped that laboratory and clinical demonstrationswill be arranged for the afternoons. The followingsections will meet on each of the three days :-

Medicine.

President: Lord Dawson. Vice-Presidents : Dr. E. J.Cave, Dr. T. R. Elliott, Prof. J. A. Nixon, Prof. AdamPatrick, Dr. W. N. West Watson. Hon. Secretaries : Dr.James Lindsay, 1, The Circus, Bath ; Dr. F. G. Chandler,1, Park-square West, Portland-place, London, N.W. 1.

Provisional Programme.-July 22nd.-Discussion: Rheu-matoid Arthritis, its Causation and Treatment. To beopened by Sir Humphry Rolleston, followed by Dr. RupertWaterhouse (Treatment), Sir Robert Jones (Surgical),Dr. J. M. H. Monro (Bastsriology), Mr. A. G. TimbrellFisher (Pathological), Mr. W. R. Ackland (Dental), andSir William H. Willcox.

July 23rd.-Discus3ion : Hyperpiesis. To be opened byLord Dawson ; followed by Prof. E. H. Starling, Dr. H.Batty Shaw, Dr. Otto May, and Dr. Geoffrey Evans.

July 24th.-Discussion: The US9S and Abuses of EndocrineTherapy. To be opened by Dr. W. Langdon Brown andProf. Swale Vincent; followed by Dr. H. Gardiner-Hill,Mr. Kenneth M. Walker, Dr. H. W. C. Vines, and Prof.F. S. Langmead.

Surgery.President: Sir Berkeley Moynihan. Vice-Presidents :

Mr. A. H. Burgess, Mr. Frederick Lace, Mr. H. S. Souttar,Mr. C. F. Walters. Hon. Secretaries : Mr. A. de V. Blathwayt,6, Brock-street, Bath ; Mr. A. L. Fuller, 9, Gay-street,Bath ; Mr. R. M. Vick, 152, Harley-street, London, W. 1.

Provisional Programme.-July 22nd.-Discussion: Carci-noma of the Stomach. To be opened by Sir W. 1. de CourcyWheeler ; followed by Dr. E. I. Spriggs (Clinical Manifesta-tions and Early Diagnosis), Dr. A. F. Hurst (AuxiliaryMethods of Diagnosis, Radiological and Chemical), Prof.M. J. Stewart (Pathology : General Relation of Carcinomato Ulcer; Mode of Spread and Frequency of SecondaryDeposits in Liver), Mr. J. Sherren, Mr. John Morley, Dr.J. A. Nixon, and Mr. A. H. Burgess.July 23rd.-Discussion : Acute Intestinal Obstruction.

To be opened by Sir William Taylor ; followed by Mr. W.Sampson Handley and Mr. D. P. D. Wilkie. A generalreport and statistics from various hospitals for the pastfive years will be presented by Mr. H. S. Souttar (LondonHosp.), Mr. R. P. Rowlands (Guy’s), Mr. C. Max Page(St. Thomas’s), Mr. R. M. Vick (St. Bartholomew’s), Mr.L. R. Braithwaite (Leeds), Mr. G. Grey Turner (Newcastle),

Mr. A. H. Burgess (Manchester), Mr. A. Rendle Short(Bristol), and Mr. A. B. Mitchell (Belfast).

July 24th.-Combined discussion with OrthopaedicSection : Treatment of Fractures, with special reference toits Organisation and Teaching. To be opened on theSurgical side by Mr. G. E. Gask ; followed by Mr. S. W.Daw, Mr. H. Wade, Mr. H. H. Sampson, and Mr. A. W.Sheen ; and on the Orthopaedic side by Sir Robert Jones ;followed by Dr. R. Osgood (Boston, U.S.A.), Mr. H. Platt,Mr. H. A. T. Fairbank, Mr. C. Max Page, and Mr. GwynneE. 0. Williams.

Obstetrics and Gyncecology.President: Lady Barrett. Vice-Presidents : Mr. H. S.

Davidson, Mr. Eardley L. Holland, Mr. W. F. Rawson,Mr. D. C. Rayner. Hon. Secretaries : Mr. W. H. Duncan,13, Gay-street, Bath ; Dr. J. Bright Banister, 19, Harley-street, London, W. 1.

Provisional Programme.-July 22nd.-Discussions : (a) TheProblems of Uterine Cancer. To be opened by Prof. B. P.Watson. (b) The Surgical Treatment of Malignant Diseaseof the Pelvic Organs. To be opened by Mr. Victor Bonneyand Mr. S. J. Cameron. The following will take part inthe discussions : Prof. C. Oldfield, Mr. H. J. D. Smythe,Dr. R. S. S. Statham, and Prof. W. C. Swayne.

July 23rd.-Discussion : The Treatment of InoperableCancer of the Pelvic Organs. To be opened by Dr. JamesHeyman (Stockholm) ; followed by Mr. Percival P. Coleand Mr. Malcolm Donaldson. Paper : Dr. D. C. Hare :Preliminary Investigation into the Circulatory Changes inNormal Pregnancies.

July 24th.-Discussion : The R61e of Surgery in theTreatment of Backward Displacement of the Uterus. To beopened by Miss M. H. Frances Ivens ; followed by Dr. H.Russell Andrews, Prof. J. M. Munro Kerr, Mr. R. H.Paramore, Mr. D. C. Rayner, Mr. D. Shannon, and SirHenry J. F. Simson.

Pathology and Bacteriology.President: Prof. J. C. G. Ledingham. Vice-Presidents :

Dr. J. A. Braxton Hicks, Prof. E. H. Kettle, Dr. RupertWaterhouse. Hon. Secretaries : Lieut.-Colonel JamesCowan, 44, Combe-park, Bath ; Dr. C. C. Okell, WellcomePhysiological Research Laboratories, Langley Court,Beckenham, Kent.

Provisional Programme.-July 22nd.-Discussion: Filter-passing Viruses. To be opened by Dr. W. E. Gye ; followedby Mr. J. E. Barnard, Dr. Mervyn H. Gordon, Dr. S. P.Bedson, and Dr. J. E. McCartney.

July 23rd.-Discussion : The Pathological Basis ofTreatment by Radiation. To be opened by Prof. S. Russ ;followed by Dr. T. S. P. Strangeways, Miss M. E. Hume,and Dr. A. Piney.

July 24th.-Discussion : The Present Position of Patho-logy and Bacteriology in this Country, with special referenceto Research. To be opened by the President of the section.

Neurology and Psychological Medicine.President : Sir Maurice Craig. Vice-Presidents : Prof.

Edwin Bramwell, Dr. Arthur F. Hurst, Dr. Norman Lavers,Dr. S. A. K. Wilson. Hon. Secretaries : Dr. Ray Edridge,29, Gay-street, Bath ; Dr. Edward Mapother, MaudsleyHospital, Denmark Hill, London, S.E. 5.

Provisional Programme.-July 22nd.-Discussion : Causa-tion and Symptomatology of Multiple Neuritis. To beopened by Dr. T. Grainger Stewart; followed by Dr. James S.Collier, Dr. Wilfred J. Harris, Dr. W. Johnson, and Dr.F. J. Nattrass.

July 23rd.-Discussion : Treatment of Insomnia. Tobe opened by Dr. Robert Hutchison ; followed by Dr. HarryCampbell, Dr. Henry Devine, and Dr. C. P. Symonds.

July 24th.-Discussion : Prophylaxis of Mental Disorder.To be opened by Sir Humphry Rolleston ; followed byDr. A. Helen A. Boyle, Dr. Bernard Hart, .Dr. EdwardMapother, and Dr. T. A. Ross.

Therapeutics (including Balneology and Radiotherapy).President: Prof. R. B. Wild. Vice-Presidents : Dr.

Preston King, Dr. W. Mitchell, Dr. Nathan Mutch. Hon.Secretaries : Dr. Cecil H. Terry, 15, The Circus, Bath;Dr. Dorothy C. Hare, 1, Bickenhall Mansions, London, W. 1.

Provisional .P?’oyy<MM)Me.&mdash;July 22nd.-Discussion : Treat-ment of Asthma. To be opened by Dr. W. Langdon Brown,followed by Dr. E. P. Poulton, and Dr. P. Hamill.

July 23rd.-Discussion : Treatment of Chronic Arthritis.To be opened by Sir Thomas Horder ; followed by Dr.Preston King (Balneology), Dr. N. Mutch, and Dr. C. B.Heald.

July 24th.-Discussion : Therapeutic Value of Light.To be opened by Prof. W. E. Dixon ; followed by Dr. C. E. M.Jones (Clinical) and Dr. G. H. Lancashire. Paper: Dr.Newman Neild : The Uses of Posture for Bronchial Drainage,