THE METROPOLITAN MUTUAL MEDICAL AID SOCIETY.

919 Societies." The claim of the Obstetrical Society to form a section co-equal with a section of Medicine and a section of Surgery, and superior to every other section, was twice brought before a full meeting of delegates, and twice negatived by the majority. At a final meeting, held only to confirm previous proceedings, and regarded as a mere formality, this claim was again and unexpectedly brought forward, when some of the majority who had voted against it were absent, and it was then carried. It was never carried in a full meeting. To make the action of the delegates of the Obstetrical Society more clear, it is worth while to mention how they came to be selected. Other Societies had, for obvious reasons, appointed their three chief office-bearers as delegates; and at a full meeting of the Council of the Obstetrical Society, it was resolved to pursue the same course, and to nominate to the general meeting the president, the treasurer, and the senior secretary. Some doubts were felt, however, whether two of these gentlemen were sufficiently permeated by the true obstetrical leaven. A private meeting of a portion of the Council was convened, and a fresh resolution was prepared, in which the names of two other gentlemen were substituted for those of the treasurer and secretary. When the general meeting was held this resolution was substibuted for that which had been settled by the Council, and, as those not in the secret were taken by surprise, it was of course carried. The delegates, therefore, really represented only a section of the Council. And as to the general action of the Society, our guess that there were fifty persons at the last meeting was an unintentional exaggeration of the truth. The action of a young Society, numbering six hundred members, was determined by thirty-six votes.-ED. L. To the Editor

of THE LANCET.

SIR,-Should you consider the enclosed protest of sufficient interest to the Fellows who were not present at the meeting, perhaps you may find space for it in your valuable

journal.

I am,

Portland-place,

June

Sir, your obedient servant, T. SNOW BECK.

22nd, 1870.

and contrary to the usual custom of societies, the president has rendered any other resolution invalid which might beput to the meeting. 5. By preventing the free expression of opinion by theFellows upon any question brought before them for consideration, the president has rendered the proceedings inoperative upon the Society, and left the Fellows at liberty to adopt any course they may individually consider advisable or

right.

To the Secretaries of the Obstetrical

Sir,- Upon

THE METROPOLITAN MUTUAL MEDICAL AID SOCIETY. To the Editor of THE LANCET.

SIR,-Upon seeing an article in the Standard on theMutual Medical Aid Society, and having received a letteroffering me the appointment of medical officer to the Professional and Commercial Provident Association, it occurred to me that it was a matter in which the members of our profession should take some action, and as I felt that there could be no dissentient voice amongst those who cherish and wish to enhance the dignity of our status, I drew up the following brief but efficient document, which I am happy to say has been signed by every allopathic practitioner in the town. I submit a copy, as I trust it may be an initiative to other towns to be " up and doing." T

out of town and cannot attend this meeting, it is desirable to obtain the expression of opinion of each of the Fellows by a printed circular, before any decided resolution be adopted as to the amalgamation with the Royal Society of Medicine." The President, Dr. Graily Hewitt, refused to put this resolution to the meeting, stating as his reason that it was contrary to the laws of the Society. I beg to enter this protest against that decision on the

following grounds :-

1. There is not any law

or

bye-law

of the

Society which

prohibits such a resolution from being put to a special general meeting called for the purpose ,to consider the

scheme of amalgamation." 2. There does not exist any custom in societies in general which would prohibit this resolution from being considered by the Society. 3. The laws to which reference was made at the time do not in any way affect this resolution. Laws 3 and 4, chapter 16, only refer to the alteration of the present laws and the adoption of new laws, whilst law 1, chapter 7, which states the president shall "interpret the application of the bye-laws and decide any doubtful question," cannot be construed as giving him power to capriciously exclude any proposition properly brought before any special general meeting, and referring to the business for which this meeting was convened. 4. By interfering with the expression of opinion of the Fellows present, in any way not provided for by the laws,

Sn*

voiir

obedient. servant

FREDK. J. PARSONS.

undersigned registered medical practitioners of the town of Yeovil, hereby express our disapprobation of the terms proposed by the Professional and Commercial Provident Association, and the Metropolitan Dlutual Medical Aid Society, as being calculated to lessen the dignity of the medical profession. And we further hereby agree as a body and respectively to decline holding the appointment of medical officer to the same.

ARNOLD COLES, M.R.C.S. W. F. TOMKYNS, M.R.C.S. &c. E. C. GARLAND, &C. &C. R. ALDRIDGE, M.D., &C. June 2lst, 1870.

[PROTEST.] Jane 21st, 1870. special general meeting of the Obstetrical Society of London, held on Wednesday, June 15th, the following resolution was duly proposed :-" That as the majority of Society reside

a.m.

We, the

F. J. PARSONS, Phys. & Surg. P. S. H. COLMER, L.R.C.P. EdW. A. HUNT, L.R.C.P. Lond. D. STEEL, F.R.C.S.

C.

PARIS.

At the

the Fellows of this

T. SNow BECK. Society of London.

(FROM

OUR OWN

CORRESPONDENT.)

HEALTH OF THE EMPEROR.

FOR the last few days the Emperor has been sufferingfrom a slight attack of gout, and, as usual, the disease was reported to be either of greater intensity or of a different character to what it really was. The delay which occurred in the departure of the Court for St. Cloud gave some colour to this report. The fact is, that the Emperor has been affected only with a slight attack of gout, which is now localised in the feet, so that he is compelled to wear very large shoes, and walks with difficulty. His general condition, however, is excellent. THE EPIDEMIC OF SMALL-POX.

Small-pox is still carrying on its ravages. The last return’ of the municipality mentions 238 deaths, which is the highest figure yet stated. In a speech delivered by the Minister’ of the Interior at the Corps Législatif, and of which I gave report in

of my last letters, it was stated that of variolic patients in the Hospice des Incurables, Rue des Sèvres, had not brought on any exof the disease in that part of the town. This was in answer to a complaint of the inhabitants brought forward by one of the deputies. M. Jules Ferry, and theMinister even went so far as to assert that no unusual extension of the epidemic had been observed in the quarters of Paris where there existed a large number of variolic patients in the hospitals; nay, those quarters seemed to present a sort of immunity or insusceptibility to the epiyou the

a

one

aggregation

tension