THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MEDICINE.

1110

replaced that it has taken a complete year to arrange the personnel physiologically equal to the of the various committees, and another complete year to normal mammalian secretion. Generally speaking, physio- settle the programme of the discussions in the sections. The latter was issued on Sept. 30th of last year.l There are logists assert that the animal fats have a higher nutritive several discussions for which two or more sections are compower than those derived from vegetables-suet, butter, and bined. At the present time the reports drawn up by those cream being regarded as the most serviceable of all. We chosen to introduce the discussions are being received and that milk in

which

by a "hydrogenised

the

natural fat has been

oil"is

evidence that this assertion has been controverted by scientific authority, and until that is the case the question of the suitability of the vegetable fats for human consumption or of their fitness to replace animal fats on all

have

set up in type. It is hoped that all these reports, which will form the basis of the discussions, will be printed and bound as a separate volume for each section before Congress opens. A second volume for each section will be published subsequently containing the speeches delivered and the indecounts must be regarded as an open one. pendent papers presented at the Congress itself. A circular will be issued on April 30th giving information on travelling facilities both to and in London, on hotels and boardinghouses, on the location of the various sections, and on other points likely to be useful to members. Early in June the final programme of the scientific business will be pub" Ne quid nimis." lished, which will include the list of independent papers accepted by the sections, and the names of intending THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MEDICINE. speakers. The office of the Congress is at 13, Hinde-street, where information may be obtained by applying to the THE Seventeenth International Congress of Medicine will W., general secretary. Subscriptions to the General Fund of the be held in London this year from August 6th to 12th, should be forwarded to the treasurers of the Congress inclusive, under the patronage of H.M. the King. H.R.H. Seventeenth International Congress of Medicine at the same Prince Arthur of Connaught has graciously consented to open address. It should be borne in mind that the membership the Congress as the representative of His Majesty. The of .61only suffices to meet the expenses of opening meeting will be held in the Albert Hall at 11 A.M. subscription the volume of Transactions subsequently delivered on Wednesday, August 6th. The last meeting of the Con- producing to each member. The entire cost of organisation and con. gress in London took place in 1881, when Sir James Paget was duct of the meeting has therefore to be provided for by president. This year the president is Sir Thomas Barlow, to the general fund. A list of the and the treasurers are Sir Dyce Duckworth and Mr. G. H. private subscriptions received will be published shortly. subscriptions already Makins. Sir Alfred Pearce Gould is chairman of the Executive Committee, Sir Henry Morris chairman of the Finance Committee, Sir Lauder Brunton chairman of the Reception THE HOSPITAL WITH A MEDICAL SCHOOL. Committee. There is also a Ladies’ Committee, of which IN an annotation which we published recently, dealing The central office of the Lady Duckworth is chairman. with the subject of ventral fixation of the uterus, the followCongress will be located in the Albert Hall. The sectional ing sentence occurs: "We have always thought that the meetings will be held in rooms in the University of London, best test of the legitimacy, if we may so term it, and the Imperial College, the Royal School of Science, the for any operation is the relative frequency with necessity These School of Art, and the Central Technical College. which it is performed by the surgeons attached to a large bodies have generously placed their buildings, which are all hospital with a medical school-that is, in those close together in South Kensington, at the disposal of the general conditions in which competent and honest criticism is not Congress. The Royal College of Physicians, the Royal Society likely to be lacking." This sentence has been made the of Medicine, St. Thomas’s Hospital, the Royal Army Medical subject of forcible criticism by a well-known London College at Millbank, and the Royal Dental Hospital are surgeon, whose desire to withhold his name is quite justified The also offering accommodation for sectional meetings. by the feeling that, not being on the staff of a hospital with Students’ Union of the Imperial College will serve as the a school, his words might be thought to be due to some men’s club, and the authorities of Alexandra House have feeling of resentment or disappointment. With regard to the kindly lent rooms for a ladies’ club. There are in all 26 particular operations under discussion or whether certain sections and subsections. Their sessions will be held in the enthusiasts perform them with undue frequency (although morning and in the afternoon. The morning sessions will strongly of the opinion that many patients are sufferers in be devoted to discussions on fixed subjects, which will be this respect), he says little or nothing, his objects being to introduced by eminent medical men from every part of the direct attention to the particular sentence quoted above. world, who have been specially invited for the purpose. The "Is not the writer,"he asks, "rather overwhelmed by the invitations have been very generally accepted, and there have of a position at a teaching school which has importance been few disappointments. There seems no doubt that the apparently narrowed his surgical horizon, and is he justified discussions will be of great interest and importance. The in claiming that the best test or criterion of the legitimacy work of the several sections will be noticed in future issues. or otherwise of any operative procedure is whether it is perFive general addresses have been arranged. These will be formed at a large general hospital with a teaching school ?t delivered by Professor Chauffard (Medicine), Professor The reason adduced for this claim is that honest and comHarvey Cushing (Surgery), Professor Ehrlich (Pathology), petent criticism is not likely to be lacking." Taken from Mr. W. Bateson (Heredity), and the Right Hon. John Burns, its context the sentence which has given rise to his comM.P., President of the Local Government Board (Public munication appears to reflect in an unjust and unnecessary Health). These will be delivered in the Albert Hall, where manner upon the numerous institutions which do not possess also will be situated the central offices of the Congress. It medical schools, but although the wording employed is not is estimated that there will be about 5000 medical men and fortunate this was not the intention of the annotation. The organisation of 2000 ladies attending the Congress. It is hardly necessary to point out that many of the advances the Congress has been going on for nearly three years. It 1 THE LANCET, Oct. 19th, 1912, will give some idea of the magnitude of the task to state p. 1116. no

Annotations.