NEW-YORK

Address al: communications to the MEDICAL SOCIETY STATE OF NEW YORK, 64 Madison Avenue, New York City.

CONSOLIDATION OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND THE NEW YORK STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. At a special term of the Supreme Court, held at Rochester, December 9, 1905, Judge J. M. Davey signed the order consolidating the Medical Society of the State of New York and The New York State Medical Association, according to the terms of the Agreement prepared by the Joint Committee of Conference, and approved by both organizations at their annual meetings in 1905.

THE NEW YORK STATE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE will be continued as the official organ of the Society. Every endeavor will be made to make it attractive, interesting and worthy of the profession of the Empire State. It will publish the Transactions of the State Society, news items of interest, book reviews, and valuable original articles. Its aim will be to promote the best interests of the profession, to advance the science of medicine to elevate the standard of medical advertising and to assist in every way in upholding the honor and dignity of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

The policy of the JOURNAL in its advertising pages will be to publish the formula of all preparations presented to the profession, and see that no unwarranted or misleading statements are made in regard to the therapeutic value or properties of the articles advertised.

Many of the members do not thoroughly understand the advantages of membership in the State Society, and it will be the aim of the JOURNAL to clearly explain them. Many are not familiar with the Agreement of Consolidation, the new Constitution and By-Laws, and in this issue they have been printed in full, so that the County Societies may have the necessary knowledge to guide them in reorganizing under the plan of consolidation. The JOURNAL will not only contain the papers read at the annual meetings, but will enable the Society to keep its members in touch with proposed medical legislation and other matters of vital interest to the profession.

$2.00 PER ANNUM

MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Meeting of the House of Delegates of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

A regular stated meeting of the House of Delegates of the Medical Society of the State of New York was held in Albany, December 14, 1905, in the Albany Medical College, at 2.30 P. M.

Present: Dr. Joseph D. Bryant, president; Dr. Frederic C. Curtis, secretary, and Drs. William J. Nellis, Henry L. Elsner, Arthur G. Root, Frank Van Fleet, Parker Syms, Julius C. Bierwirth, Abraham Jacobi, Leo H. Neuman, Albert Vander Veer, Ogilvie DeVillo Ball, E. Eliot Harris, Alexander Lambert, George R. Fowler and Wisner R. Townsend.

Dr. Van Fleet stated that as he held two positions in the House of Delegates, one as chairman of the Committee on Legislation and one as a member of the House, by virtue of his membership on the Committee of Conference, he deemed it only right to resign from the Committee on Legislation, so that the House of Delegates would not be deprived of the chairman of the Committee on Legislation. Resignation accepted.

Dr. Arthur G. Root was nominated as chairman of the Committee on Legislation by Dr. Van Fleet. Elected unanimously. Dr. Root was sent for and joined the House of Delegates in their deliberations.

Dr. Leo H. Neuman was nominated as chairman of the Committee on Scientific Work. Elected unanimously. Dr. Neuman was sent for and joined the House of Delegates in their delib

erations.

Dr. Wisner R. Townsend was nominated as acting assistant secretary. Elected unanimously.

Dr. Alexander Lambert was nominated as acting assistant treasurer. ing assistant treasurer. Elected unanimously.

The acting assistant secretary was directed to notify Dr. John L. Heffron that the Committee on Hygiene, in conformity with the new ByLaws, would hereafter be known as the Committee on Public Health.

The acting assistant secretary then read the order of the court amalgamating the Medical Society of the State of New York and The New York State Medical Association. Moved, seconded and carried that a full copy of the court order be spread on the minutes. (See page 5.) Moved, seconded and carried that the following extract from a letter to Dr. Townsend from Mr. Collin, the attorney who made the application for consolidation to the court, be spread upon the minutes: "As I wired you this morning, no further act is necessary for the complete consolidation of the Society and Association; by granting the entry of 'order,' the consolidation was wholly effected. The direction by the statute to file the certified copy of the order in the office of the Secretary of State is directory only, and not essential to the validity of consolidation. I will, of course, file such certified copy in that office as soon as possible."

Moved, seconded and carried that the secretary of the Society be directed to see that the certified copy is duly filed with the Secretary of State.

Dr. Ball, treasurer, reported cash on hand. $3,068.57, and that on January 1st there would be outstanding obligations of about $500. He was informed that the State Association, after their obligations were paid, would turn over about $2,700.50, which would leave in the bank January 1, 1906, about $5,769.07.

The acting assistant secretary presented an estimate for the necessary expenses for 1906 to 1907, which showed that a per capita tax of $3.00 would be necessary to meet the estimated expenses, and that with the revenue from publications and per capita tax, with careful management, there should be a small surplus at the end of the year.

Dr. Nellis, chairman Committee on Arrangements, presented a report. Accepted; placed on file. (See page 4.)

Dr. Neuman, chairman Committee on Scientific Work, presented a report. Accepted; placed on file. (See page 4.)

Dr. Van Fleet, chairman Committee on Legislation, reported progress.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the secretary of the Medical Society of the State of New York immediately notify the respective presidents and secretaries of each County Medical Society within the State. of New York, that the order of consolidation of the Medical Society of the State of New York and The New York State Medical Association has been entered and filed, and direct them that in compliance with Section VI of the Agreement, which is made a part of the order of consolidation, each of such Medical Societies is hereby directed to call a meeting of all their members, including all members of the Association in good standing at the date of the consolidation, residing in the counties in which the meetings shall be held, respectively, for the purpose of effectuating

the plan of organization under the Constitution and By-Laws hereto annexed, and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting, and that upon receipt of the enclosed certified copy of a list of members of the County Association in their county, such members shall be placed upon the list of County Societies without notice and without further action. (See paragraph third of the Agreement.) Moved, seconded and carried: Resplved, That the secretary notify the president and secretary of each County Association, in a county containing no County Society, that they shall forthwith change the name of such Association to Society, and forthwith effectuate the plan of organization of County Societies in compliance with the State Society By-Laws.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the secretary be directed to send a copy of tentative By-Laws to the County Societies, with the statement that these By-Laws were made by a sub-committee of the Committee of Conference, and were advisory and suggestive only; that they can be adopted as they stand, and would be perfectly acceptable to the Council; or they could be amended, altered or used as a guide in making new By-Laws by the counties. (See page 12.)

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the treasurer of the Medical Society of the State of New York pay all bills of The New York State Medical Association, when bearing signature and audit of the treasurer of The New York State Medical Association, and that the bond of the treasurer be placed at $5,000, the premium thereof to be a charge on the Society.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That a Committee of Three be ap pointed by the chair to select an editor for the JOURNAL. And it is made the further duty of the committee to present the name of said editor to the House of Delegates for election at the annual meeting.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the president and acting assistant secretary be authorized to issue the JOURNAL for January and February, and to incur the necessary expenses for the same, and to sign all contracts for advertising that may come in during the months of December and January.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the Medical Society of the State of New York furnish to its members for the year 1906, the services of an attorney-at-law in actions brought for alleged malpractice, under certain conditions to be hereinafter provided, and that the president and acting assistant secretary be empowered to employ counsel to conduct the defense. Moved, seconded and carried.

Resolved, That the president be empowered to procure for the secretary and treasurer such clerical assistance as may be necessary.

Dr. George Ryerson Fowler moved to amend

Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution, by inserting after the word "Society" on first line of section, the words, "except as hereinafter be provided."

Declared by the chair out of order as contrary to the Agreement.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the Medical Directory be continued.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That an assessment be placed upon each member of the Medical Society of the State of New York, at a uniform per capita rate of $3.00.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the County Societies be directed to levy such assessment and that the treasurers remit as promptly as possible to the State treas

urer.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That a Committee of Three be appointed by the chair to authorize and audit expenditures until the further order of this body. Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the secretary call the attention of officers of County Societies to the requirement of Chapter IX, Section 8, of the By-Laws of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

"Each County Society may adopt a constitution and by-laws for the regulation of its affairs, provided that the same shall first be approved by the Council of this Society."

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the secretary call attention of those who are to read papers at Albany, at the annual meeting, to Chapter X, Section 2, of the By-Laws of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

"All papers read before the Society or any of its sections shall become the property of the Society. Each paper, or a copy thereof, shall be deposited with the secretary after the same shall have been read."

In pursuance to the agreement of the Joint Committee of Conference, it was moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the referendum proposition relating to the Principles of Medical Ethics of Section 7 of said Agreement be and hereby is referred to a special committee of five members of which the president shall be one, with the power to issue the call for the vote at the earliest practical time, canvass and report the results of the vote on the proposition to the House of Delegates at its next meeting thereafter.

Moved, seconded and carried:

WHEREAS, Article IV of the Constitution of the American Medical Association states:

"Those State and Territorial Medical Associations which have, or which hereafter may, become organized in accordance with the general plan of organization of the American Medical Association, and which have declared by resolution their allegiance to the said American Medical

Association, and which shall agree with other State and Territorial Medical Associations to the formation and the perpetuation of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association shall be recognized as Constituent Associations." Resolved, That the Medical Society of the State of New York, by virtue of having conformed to the requirements, declares its allegiance to the American Medical Association, and thereby becomes its constituent society in the State of New York.

Dr. Fowler gave notice that he would offer the following, to be acted on at the next meeting, as a substitute for Section 2 of Chapter X of the By-Laws :

"All papers read before the Society by its members shall become the property of the Society. Permission may be given, however, by the House of Delegates or the Council, to publish such paper in advance of its appearance in THE NEW YORK STATE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE."

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the minutes be now approved, and when approved that they be published in the January issue of the JOURNAL.

Moved, seconded and carried:

Resolved, That the House of Delegates now take a recess, subject to the call of the chair. FREDERIC C. CURTIS, Secretary Medical Society of the State of New York.

Dr. J. D. Bryant, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, has appointed the following committees:

Referendum: Drs. Joseph D. Bryant, Abraham Jacobi, George R. Fowler, Julius C. Bierwirth and Wisner R. Townsend.

Committee to Authorize and Audit Expenditures: Drs. H. L. Elsner, Alexander Lambert and Leo H. Neuman.

Committee to Select Editor: Drs. A. Vander Veer, P. Syms and E. E. Harris.

Dr. Egbert Le Fevre has been appointed to the vacancy in the Committee on Legislation, caused by the resignation of Dr. Van Fleet.

Mr. James Taylor Lewis has been appointed counsel to defend members who may be sued for alleged malpractice.

Among the advantages of membership in the Medical Society of the State of New York may be mentioned:

Membership in County, District Branch and State Society,

Defense in suits of alleged malpractice,

Receipt of THE NEW YORK STATE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE.

Receipt of the Medical Directory of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,

Privilege of membership in the American Medical Association.