ders, exhibiting themselves to the medical classes and eking out a most miserable existence; and these men are not operated upon, simply because you and I, and others, have not the time or inclination to qualify ourselves to do it. Mr. Wood, of London, is doing all of this kind of work in England, and I hope my young friend, Dr. King, will do it all in this country.

On motion the paper was referred to the Committee of Publication.

On motion the Section adjourned until Wednesday at 3 P.M.

WEDNESDAY, May 5.

The Chairman, Dr. E. M. MOORE, of New York, presided. Dr. S. N. BENHAM acted as Secretary pro tem.

Dr. L. I. WILLIEN, of Indiana, presented a paper on Hydro-Nephritis with Renal Calculi, with specimen.

Dr. E. ANDREWS, of Illinois. This class of cases has been the subject of the operation of cystotomy, opening from the back, and I think it is a question whether this opening should not be free enough to reach down with a long curved pair of forceps and thus extract the calculi.

Dr. A. GARCELON, of Maine. I think that the operation sug. gested by Dr. Andrews, of introducing forceps to extract a calculus, would be a "wild-goose chase," where one was developed in the pelvis of the kidney. But what seems most remarkable in these cases is, the rapid development of calcareous material, as the time was so short between the manifestations of the symptoms and the receipt of the injury. I hold in my hand a specimen of calculus, taken from the bladder of a child two years old, the first symptoms referable to which occurring only about seven or eight months previous to death. And here is another specimen which developed very rapidly in an adult.

In my country the development of calculi is of very rare occurrence, as in all my experience I have met with very few cases. Dr. N. C. HUSTED, of New York. I would like to ask if a diagnosis of renal calculi was made by Dr. Willien at the time of puncturing the cyst?

Dr. WILLIEN. No, sir; I did not.

BY A MEMBER. Was not the formation of this calculus due to the railroad accident mentioned in the paper, and therefore not of a rapid growth, as Dr. Garcelon supposes?

Dr. GARCELON. The evidence as derived from the symptoms of

the case does not show a very extended period of development. Of course, this cannot be ascertained definitely, but it is well to know, Mr. President, that injury of the spinal cord predisposes to the formation of calculi. There is a case which I reported, in which 115 calculi were removed from a patient who had suffered an injury to the spinal column. This patient was again operated upon, and fifty-eight stones removed; and again, during the war, I performed the third operation, when eighteen or nineteen calculi were secured. The point I wish to make, Mr. President, is that injury of the spinal cord predisposes to the formation of calculi. On motion the paper was referred to the Committee of Publication.

The next paper read was by Dr. C. DENNISON, of Colorado. Title, A New Extensor Apparatus, with black board illustrations; remarks were made by Drs. KELLER of Kentucky, GARCELON of Maine, et al. On motion of Dr. J. R. BRONSON of Massachussetts, a vote of thanks was given to Dr. Dennison for his paper.

Dr. L. ELSBERG, of New York, read a paper on Esophageal Auscultation. On motion it was referred to the Committee of Publication with request to publish.

The report by Drs. GROSS, SIMS, and TONER was made the special subject for discussion at 3 o'clock P. M. to morrow, May 6th. Adjourned.

Dr. MOORE in the chair.

THURSDAY, May 6.

Dr. J. M. KELLER, of Kentucky. It is somewhat out of the regular order of business of this Section, Mr. President, but as the importance of the subject demands it, I would like to call attention to the report on the paper of Dr. Gross respecting syphilis, which was read, as you all recollect, before this Society one year ago.

After it was read, a committee was appointed to devise a plan. for disseminating the ideas of that paper throughout the profession and country. I do not know what the action of that committee is, but hope to learn to-morrow; however, I understand that the report of the committee, composed of Drs. Morris, Sands, Toner, and Gross, on this paper, was yesterday referred to the Committee of Publication.

The object of my calling this to the attention of the Association again is for the purpose of bringing this subject not only before

the Section, but before the nation for legislative action, and I trust that this Section will reconsider its action and empower its author, Dr. Gross, to have it produced in the form of a monograph for the purpose of distribution to delegates from every State in the Union, in order to more fully and certainly secure appropriate legislation, which a knowledge of the importance of the subject will command, and I hope that some gentleman will make a motion, so that it will come from the Section on Surgery, asking that the Association extend to Dr. Gross the privilege of preparing this proposed monograph for the object of influencing legislation in the different States upon the subject.

The PRESIDENT. Do I understand you to make a motion to the above effect?

Dr. KELLER. No, sir; my friend Dr. Sayre was to make this motion, but, as his modesty may be in the way (he is noted for that quality), I will here make a motion that this Section on Surgery request that the American Medical Association will ask Dr. Gross to prepare his paper on syphilis in monograph form, in order to disseminate the views therein contained, the object being to furnish the sub-committee of the different States data to influence and secure legislation on this subject.

The PRESIDENT. I can hardly think that such a motion would be exactly in order. This paper is no longer the property of Prof. Gross, and it is the duty of this Association to publish it or not, as it sees fit. Of course, if Dr. Gross desires to make any alterations, there would certainly be no objection.

Dr. J. R. BRONSON, of Massachusetts. Dr. Sayre says that he yesterday moved that the report be referred to the Committee of Publication without its being read. I am very glad if it be true, as the Section will have an opportunity of hearing the report read if it be recalled.

The PRESIDENT. Do you call for the reading of the report? Dr. KELLER. Yes, sir; I do.

The PRESIDENT. Do you ask it to be read now or to-morrow? Dr. KELLER. I don't care when it is read; I don't want it smothered.

Dr. A. GARCELON, of Maine. I am sure I watched the proceedings yesterday with a great deal of care, but this is the first time I have heard anything about the report.

Dr. SAYRE. I would request that the stenographer, Mr. George, be asked in respect to the matter.

Mr. GEORGE. The motion may have been made, but I have no

recollection of it.

THE PRESIDENT.

There seems to be a great deal of confusion

of ideas on this subject. Was this

Dr. KELLER. Dr. Sayre can explain it.

Dr. SAYRE. All I know about this matter, gentlemen, is as follows: First, that a committee composed of Drs. Morris, Sims, Sands, Toner, and Gross was appointed last year to report upon the paper of Dr. Gross on syphilis. That yesterday Dr. Morris sat behind me with a large report, at least it so appeared, which he said was the report of the Committee on Prof. Gross' paper of last year. He said it was prepared for the purpose of affecting legislation, and asked me to move its adoption by the Committee of Publication. Believing at the time that the report had been made by Drs. Sims, Sands, Morris, Toner, and Gross, and having the utmost confidence in these gentlemen, I made the motion that the report be so referred; and now what is wanted is a reconsideration of that motion, and I move for a reconsideration of my motion of yesterday, and to recall this report from the Committee and have it made the special order for to-morrow. Carried.

BY A MEMBER. I move that it be made the special order after the paper of Dr. Sims.

Dr. E. RICHARDSON, of Kentucky. I do not know as there will be time, as the Association has an invitation.

Dr. SAYRE. Mr. President and gentlemen, you all know I am as fond of fun and as full of sociability as any man on the face of the earth, but a few years since we nearly destroyed this Association by allowing our social proclivities to prevail. Our friends here in Louisville are so hospitable and generous, it is hard to resist their kindness, but we must put some stop to this, and not allow these allurements to interfere with a single one of our duties here as delegates.

The PRESIDENT. The report will come up to-morrow in the regular order after Dr. Sims's paper is read. A motion for adjournment is in order.

Adjourned until Thursday at 3 P. M.

MAY 6, 3 P. M.

The Section was called to order at 3 P. M. by the Chairman, Dr. Moore, of New York.

Dr. J. MARION SIMS, of New York, spoke a few words in regard

to the actual cautery, and exhibited a self-acting blowpipe or alcohol blast lamp, which he had found an extremely convenient and rapid means for heating the cautery irons. The irons are placed in a rack made of stone, and so adjusted as to receive the greatest amount of heat. By the use of the lamp, a small iron can be heated in one minute, larger ones in proportion. The doctor referred to the use of the actual cautery in ovariotomy, and thought that its use would become more and more extended. In a postmortem, which the doctor had made in a case dead from ovariotomy, he found that the burnt surface had healed by first intention to the serous tissues with which it was in contact, so that there was no reason why it could not be used in the operation of ovariotomy.

The alcohol being impure, the result of the experiment of heating the irons was not as satisfactory as the doctor desired, but it served to illustrate the method proposed.

No action was taken respecting the paper further than tendering the doctor a unanimous vote of thanks, he having prefaced his remarks by stating that the instrument had been shown at the New York State Medical Society the month previous.

Dr. E. H. M. SELL obtained permission from the Chair to read a paper entitled: Tapping of a True Ovarian Cyst followed by a Cure.

Dr. SELL. Before reading this paper, I would like to say that the case was last year presented at Detroit, and that a brief history of it will be found on pages 245-6 of the American Medical Association's Transactions for 1874. She has been seen by many persons, and was last year considered a very interesting case. The diagnoses were various and contradictory, and I was advised by the Association last year to bring in the post-mortem, as the patient would, no doubt, be dead in three months, but, gentlemen, instead of bringing the post-mortem, I have the pleasure of presenting to you the patient herself.

The paper being read, it was on motion referred to the Committee of Publication.

Dr. HOLLOWAY, of Kentucky, presented to the Section Seguin's Thermoscope, and said: An apology is due from me to Dr. Sayre for presenting this instrument in this irregular manner. It should have gone to the Association in its general meeting and then be referred here, but it was not received by Dr. Sayre until to-day at one o'clock.

It is a simple instrument, consisting merely of a glass tube