be determined in accordance with the rules of order in Cushing's “Manual of Parliamentary Practice."

ARTICLE XII.-AMENDMENTS.

SECTION 1. Amendments, alterations, or additions to these By-Laws may be made by a two thirds vote of the members voting at an annual meeting or at any stated meeting; provided that notice of such amendments, alterations, or additions shall have been presented in writing at the stated meeting immediately preceding, and that a copy of such amendments, alterations, or additions shall have been sent to each member, with the notice for the meeting at which they are to be considered.

SEC. 2. Notice of amendments, alterations, or additions to the ByLaws may be given at any annual meeting, the same to be acted upon at the next succeeding stated meeting.

SEC. 3. These By-Laws may be temporarily suspended at any annual or stated meeting during such meeting by a three fourths vote of the members present and voting; but they shall not be suspended at any special meeting.

In conclusion, I would state that our proceedings have been printed, either in full or in part, by the best medical journals, they have therefore been preserved for collection, to be bound in permanent volumes.

Our finances are in excellent condition, there remaining a balance of over seven hundred dollars in the treasury.

There has been perfect unity of action in the Association, and its usefulness in the past and steady increase in power have clearly demonstrated the wisdom of its founders.

CHARLES A. LEALE, President.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL,

BEING

THE MINUTES OF THE SESSIONS OF THE COUNCIL

Held during the year 1885.

THE Council met in special session at the New York State Lunatic Asylum, Utica, on July 7, 1885, at 6 P. M., and was called to order by the President, Dr. J. P. Gray.

Present Drs. Gray, Hinton, Hyde, Colvin, Wilson, Gouley, and Ferguson.

Dr. Gouley offered a resolution that a committee of five be appointed to secure a design for an Association badge, the President of the Association to be a member of the committee. The resolution was carried, and Drs. Gouley, Gray, Wilson, Hyde, and Colvin, were appointed the committee.

On motion of Dr. Ferguson it was resolved to devote a page in future volumes of "Transactions," to be known as the obituary page, whereon should appear the names of deceased Fellows, together with such biographical facts as could be placed in tabular form.

The Secretary moved that, in interpreting the clauses of the Plan of Organization of the District Associations relating to the constitution of the Executive Committee, the District President and Secretary shall be counted when estimating a quorum of the Executive Committee. Carried.

Dr. Ferguson offered the following:

Resolved, That the Council of the New York State Medical Association respectfully recommends to the Committee of Arrangements for the International Medical Congress the following modification of the rule by which the American membership of the Congress is to be constituted, to wit:

That the American membership of the Congress be constituted of delegates, who shall be entitled to participate in the business and scientific proceedings, and of members who shall be entitled to participate only in the scientific proceedings of the Congress; that the delegates may be appointed by the American Medical Association, and by State and local organizations in affiliation therewith, in the proportion of one delegate for every ten or fraction of ten members of the organization thus represented; that members of the regular medical profession of the United States may become members of the Congress by registering their names as such and by taking out tickets of admission. Carried. The Secretary reported on new Fellows as follows:

In accordance with Article III., Section 3, of the By-Laws, the following resolution was submitted to the Council in December, 1884:

Resolved, That the Corresponding Secretary be authorized to add to the list of Fellows the names of such applicants as are properly vouched for, and who may make application from December 1, 1884, to the publication of the forthcoming volume of "Transactions."

Fifteen replies were received from members of the Council, all voting aye. In accordance with the resolution seventy-three names were added, to appear in the volume of "Transactions."

In addition thereto the Secretary reported the names of sixtythree applicants whose applications had been received since the publication of the volume of "Transactions." The applicants being found duly accredited and qualified were all appointed to Fellowship.

The Secretary reported the following circular letter which had been addressed to the Fellows in the First and Second Districts:

NEW YORK STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION,

TROY, N. Y., April, 1885.

DEAR DOCTOR: The necessarily rapid work in the organization of our Association permitted what seems to be an error in the constitution of the First and Second Districts, due allowance not having been made for convenience of railroad communication.

The First or Northern Branch comprises the following counties, viz. Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Warren-11 counties.

The Second or Eastern Branch includes the following counties, viz. Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Washington-10 counties.

It is manifestly unjust to expect the Fellows residing in the counties of Clinton, Essex, and Warren, to make a long journey through the Second District in order to attend their district meeting at Utica, being obliged this year to pass through Saratoga Springs, where the Second District meeting will be held.

Some measure of relief seems proper. I would suggest that Clinton, Essex and Warren Counties be taken from the First District and added to the Second; while, as a compensation, Fulton and Montgomery be taken from the Second District and added to the First. Some action should be taken at the district meetings, as it will take two years to effect the change. In the mean time those Fellows in Clinton, Essex and Warren Counties who may prefer to attend the Second District meeting at Saratoga Springs, Thursday, June 23, 1885, should apply to Dr. Wilbur H. Booth, Secretary First District Branch, 172 Genesee Street, Utica, N. Y., for credentials as delegates.

Under the above indicated reconstruction the First District would comprise ten counties, and contain a population (census of 1880) of 523,870, with 77 Fellows; and the Second District, eleven counties, with a population of 621,135 and 88 Fellows.

This communication will be sent to each Fellow in the First and Second Districts, that the matter may be fully considered before the district meetings are held.

Your obedient servant,

E. D. FERGUSON, Corresponding Secretary.

In accordance with the above suggestions resolutions had been introduced at the annual meetings of the First and Second District Branches recommending that Clinton, Essex, and Warren Counties be taken from the First District and added to the Second, and Fulton and Montgomery taken from the Second District and added to the First, the resolutions being unanimously carried in each instance.

It was then resolved that the Council recommend to the Association the above described changes in the boundaries of the First and Second Districts.

It was also declared to be the opinion of the Council that Section 15 of the Plan of Organization of the District Branches should be so amended as to allow the assessments to be made upon all the Fellows residing in the District, and not alone upon those attending the meetings.

On motion of the Secretary the following form of application was adopted:

APPLICATION FOR FELLOWSHIP OF THE NEW YORK STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

Dated......

.1885.

The undersigned desires to become a Fellow of the New York State Medical Association, and subscribes to its plan of organization, which he has read and examined.

1. The applicant must be duly authorized to practice Medicine.

...District.

2. He must be in good professional standing, and a resident of the State of New York.

3. He shall fill the above blank form of application, which he shall transmit to any member of the Council of the Association residing in his county or his district, together with five dollars as his initiation-fee.

4. He shall subscribe to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association.

On the reverse of this page will be found the list of members of the Council, and the arrangement of counties constituting the geographical districts.

When the application is completed, it is to be forwarded, together with the initiation-fee, to the Corresponding Secretary.

On the reverse are to be printed the names of members of the Council, etc., as it may be formed and constituted at the time of printing the application.

The Council then adjourned, after approving the minutes. E. D. FERGUSON, Secretary.