THE PROPOSED AMALGAMATION OF THE LONDON MEDICAL SOCIETIES.

310 have been in more capable hands. After referring to the Ireland; Society for the Study of Diseases of Children; Odonto400 years during which the College had existed as full of logical ; Association ofofMedical Officers of Insurance Companies; Anaesthetists ; Electro-Therapeutic; TheraBalneological; Society momentous issues for Scotland, for Britain, and for the peutic. The accountants inform us that the 22 societies whose membership world, he proceeded to pass a high eulogy upon the profes- lists were collated have a total membership of 7229, constituted by sion of medicine and surgery. He said that, as one who had 4997 persons. Of these. 3725 are members of one society only, and the in administration and had felt that undercivic participated balance, 1272, are members of more than one society. The accountants, upon the figures placed before them by the lying it was the doctrine of making this world brighter, further inform us that the balance of assets (including certain happier, wholesome, and a more desirable dwelling place for societies, trust funds) over liabilities of these societies is more than the human unit, and as one who had loyally held to that bequests and E40, 000. If 3800 members of societies other than the Royal Medical doctrine, what a debt of gratitude they owed to the medical Chirurgical Society become members at a subscription of BL18. society will have a small balance of income over profession in all its branches. He expressed, aLo, great per annum theIfnew a members of these societies become Fellows at faith in the future of medicine, for he believed that the expenditure. of E3any 3s. subscription per annum the balance will be proportionately in most eminent men that assembly would confess that as increased. This estimate is based on the present income and expenditure of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, together yet they stood on the threshold of the investigation of causa- with the present income and expenditure of 17 other societies, as given tion and cure, and the mind that assumed that attitude, with in subjoined table, and makes no allowance for any economies which and but with lowliness meekness, sincerity, was the truest may be effected by the union. and most possible force in future achievements. He believed of Income and Expenditure of the proposed Royal Society if that for years to come from the ranks of a college such as Estimate hotised at 20. Hanover-square, on Basis oJ Income and Expenditure a this, and inspired by the traditions of college such as of existing 18 Societies jor the Year ending Dec. 31st, 1901. this, many men would rise to confer benefits on their fellows EXPENDITURE. INCOME. that would justly entitle their fellows to call them blessed. Royal Medical and ChirurgRoyal Medical and ChirurgThis toast was briefly responded to by the PRESIDENT who ical Society ..........E4.307 ical Society ... ... ... £4,911 770 acknowledged the high conception formed by the proposer of Loss of rent by union ... pf other 17 Societies. Of the toast of the duties of the medical man. Thereafter the Of other 17 Societies. Rent of Medical Society... 940 in the National followed Investments........... Anthem, 350 company joined singing by "Transactions," less sales but without allowance Interest from investment Auld Lang Syne." of for cash balance income advertise50 by present This brought to a close the official programme of the ments............... 186 2,545 Entrance fees College and it only remains to compliment those concerned Staff 650 3800 subscriptions at £1 1s. 3,990* 166 upon the administrative faculty shown by the celebration Library and Museum on obligation ... 121 secretary, Mr. John W. Dowden, F.R.C.S. Edin., and the Interest miscellaneous Stationery, group of younger surgeons upon whom much of the labour and exceptional expendiof the arrangements necessarily fell, and to congratulate the ture 1,670 198 President and the Fellows of the College on the manner in Balance which all the proceedings were carried through and upon .E10.427 £10,427 the public interest shown in the College. , The actual amount last year from subscriptions by these On Saturday the University of Edinburgh held a special 17 societies was £5033. received graduation ceremonial with the object of conferring the In view of the facts that 3525 persons already subscribe £1 1s. to these honorary degree of Doctor of Laws upon the foreign, 18 societies per annum, that 1272 pay from oE2 2s. upwards, and that of of the proposed scheme many individuals who are not Fellows of and the under colonial American, Royal College guests the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society would become Fellows of Surgeons. The following were thus honoured :-The French the Royal Society of Medicine at an annual subscription of £33s., your Ambassador, His Excellency M. Paul Cambon ; Professor committee consider that the new society would have a sufficient Howard Just Dr. balance of income over expenditure to provide for improvements and Cameron, Irving Lucas-Championniere, Professor Francesco Durante, Professor Anton Freiherr von for any sinking fund rendered necessary by extensions to 20, Hanoversupposing that all the scheduled sccieties joined. Eiselsberg, Professor William Stewart Halsted, Professor square, This is shown more clearly from the following estimate of subscripWilliam Williams Keen, Professor Karl Gustav Lennander, tions which may be received from members of the various societies who are not Fellows of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society :Professor Saxtorpb, and Professor F. J. Shepherd. £ Principal Sir WILLIAM TURNER, at the close of the EOO members of societies as Fellows at R3 3s.... 18901 not said it was to have ceremonial, customary capping 3200 members at £1 1 1s... ... ... ... ... ... ... . 3360 replies from the recipients of the honour but as this was a Library subscriptions at £1 1s., say ......... 525 special occasion he thought it would be gratifying to the £5775 Senatus and to many of the friends assembled if he If this £5775 replaces the conservative estimate of R3990 from sub the French a few Ambassador to words on requested speak scriptions in the foregoing estimate of income and expenditure, the behalf of the European honorary graduates and Dr. Keen on estimated annual balance of B198 becomes £1983. We cannot obtain behalf of those who came from the other side of the Atlantic. further information as to the financial practicability of the scheme we know exactly which societies have definitely decided to join M. CAMBON, speaking in French, made complimentary until the proposed Royal Society. reference to the honour which the University had conferred Your committee suggest that every member of the societies which upon him and proceeded to speak of the illustrious position shall amalgamate shall have the option of joining the new society of the University of Edinburgh and of the traditional friend- without entrance fee and that as far as possible the members of these societies shall retain their privileges in the new society. For ship between France and Scotland and of the pleasure that example, any Fellow of thepresent Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society it had given him to viit Edinburgh. ! who has compounded for his subscription will be entitled to join the Dr. KEEN said that he and his transatlantic brethren came Royal Society of Medicine as a Fellow without further payment of any kind and a member of any society who has compounded for his subto Edinburgh as their academic Jerusalem-beautiful for scription will be entitled to join thecorresponding section of the Royal situation, the pride of the whole earth. They were not Society of Medicine without further payment. Your committee consider that the following suggestions might be strangers. They had been encompassed with kindness and embodied in a scheme for the formation of the new society, namely, they had not only been " capped"but captured." thatThe proceedings concluded with the benediction. 1. The new society shall be called the Royal Society of Medicine, or the Royal Academy of Medicine, according to the vote of the societies ’

Iand

.........

...............

...

...............

...............

’

THE PROPOSED AMALGAMATION OF THE LONDON MEDICAL SOCIETIES.

concerned. 2. All moneys, books, premises, and other properties belonging to any of the societies which join the proposed union shall become the property of the new society.

1 This

THE following is the report of the executive committee to the committee composed of representatives of the societies, which was accepted by the committee on Wednesday, July 19th. We deal with it in a leading article this week :— xour committee

oeg

to

report

tnal in accoraance will tneir

powers

they eoopted Mr. Makins and appointed Dr. Arthur Latham and Mr. Herbert S. Pendlebury to act as honorary secretaries. We instructed Messrs. Newson-Smith, Lord, and Mundy, chartered accountant=, to investigate the rolls of membership and the accounts of the following societies:-Medical; Royal Medical and Chirurgical; Pathological: Clinical ; Obstetrical ; Gynaecological ; Neurological; Epidemiological : Medico-Psychological; Ophthalmological; Laryngological; Laryngological-Otological-Rhinological Association; Otological ;Dermatological of L -ndon; Dermatological of Great Britain and

two

or

figure

600 is arrived at

more

societies; the figures, taking 1300 instead of 1272,

show that—

as

follows : 1272 members

belong

to

751 members belong to two societies 300 three " " 134 four " " 72 live " " " 31 six " " 5 seven " " " 6 " " " eight 1 nine , " " The number of Fellows of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society paying an annual subscription of £3 3s. is 420 (many of these probably belongto no other society), but if we deduct their entire number from 1272 there are at least 850 individuals who belong to two or more societies. The committee suggest that probably 600 of these would become Fellows of the new society at an annual subscription of JE3 3s. "

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"

,

311 shall be housed at 20, Hanover-square. Increased can be obtained by extending the premises and bv the absorption of certain rooms now occupied by tenants of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society. 4. The society shall meet four or more times a year to discuss subjects of medical and scientific interest. 5. The society shall consist of the following sections, with power to add new sections or to modify existing ones with the consent of the members: (1) Anaesthetic; (2) Clinical; (3) Dermatological; (4) Diseases of Children ; (5) Epidemiological; (6) Laryngological, Otological, and Rhinological; (7) Medical; (8) Mental Medicine (Psychiatrv); (9) Neurological; (10) Obstetrical and Gynaecological;

parts of the kingdom. Dr. Percy Smith

was heartily thanked for his services as president during the year. Dr. Wood, on taking the chair, was cordially received. In his Presidential Address Dr. WOOD sympathetically referred to the death of the late Sir John Sibbald and proceeded to compare the position of the association with that of 25 years ago. In 1880 there were 394 members and to day there were 680. The success of the association had been much helped by the formation of sub(11) Odontological ; (12) Ophthalmological ; (13) Pathological ; (14) divisions. He proceeded to call attention to the responsiState Medicine; (15) Surgical; (16) Therapeutical, including General bility resting upon medical men in prescribing powerful Therapeutics, Pharmacology, Electrotherapflutics, Balneology, and drugs and the ease with which patients could obtain Climatology. It is hoped that in the early future an anatomical and them in unlimited quantity by taking the prescription physiological section may be formed. 6. The society shall consist of Fellows, Members, Honorary Fellows, from one druggist to another. Such poisons had been and Honorary Members. used for committing suicide. On the question of incipient 7. The Fellowship of the society shall be restricted to those who are insanity he referred to the action of the association in medical of the British and to men practitioners registered Empire whose scientific attainments are satisfactory to the general council. recommending that a patient whose insanity was doubtful 8. A Fellow shall pay, subject to any future by7l.IW, an annual sub- should be placed under care and treatment away from home scription of 233s., and shall have the right to attend all meetings of on the application of a relative to a magistrate, which action the snciety or of any of its sections, and shall have full use of the library. After the society is constituted (i.e., after a date to be subse- was supported by the British Medical Association. He then alluded to the abuse of the practice of "single care" by quently determined) a new Fellow shall pay an entrance fee of R22s. 9. Each section shall have the power to elect as members of the advertisers who had no knowledge of the treatment of the society such persons as the council of the section may think fit, pro- insane. He advocated as a remedy the registration of places vided that the names of the candidates proposed for election be previously submitted by the sectional council to the council of the and persons taking mental cases, especially including the sosociety for their approval. called "nursing homes." The President also touched upon 10. A member of any particular section shall pay, subject to any the question of voluntary boarders in public asylums and future by-law, 21 ls. per annum, and shall have the right to attend all the meetings of his section, but must pay an additional .81 Is. per said that there was a field for extension in the direction of annum if he wishes to have the use of the library, and a further subencouraging the early treatment of incipient insanity. The of 10s. 6d. per annum for each additional section. address dealt very fully with the question of nursing the 11. The general management of the society shall be under the control of a general council, consisting of the president, the presidents mentally afflicted. There were now 6900 nurses, male and of the various sections, two treasurers, two librarians, two secretaries, female, holding the association’s certificate for proficiency, and eight other Fellows. the largest number of any organisation in the 12. The entire management of the funds of the society shall be in the probably world nursing holding certificates of uniform value from one hands of a finance committee, subject to and acting as a sub-comconstituted authority. Last year the period of training was mittee of the general council. 13. In order to enable existing societies to retain their individuality definitely fixed at three years, which would give the assoas far as possible each section shall have power to make the necessary ciation’s nurses a status that they had never before enjoyed. laws and regulations for the conduct of its business. 14. The presidents of sections shall be ex officio vice-presidents of the He objected to referring to male nurses in asylums as society, and shall serve on the general council of the society. "attendants,"and much preferred the term "nurse"for 15. In the estimate provision has been made for a monthly publica- both sexes. Some members had advocated the principle of tion (July, August, and September excepted), to be called The female nurses for male to look after male Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine." This publication will substituting be under the control of an editorial committee, and will contain a patients, but he thought the propcrtion of suitable cases for record of the work of each section during the previous month. By that could not be large. A temperate letter appeared in the such prompt publication the value of the records will be greatly News from a matron, stating that a kind heart, Asylum increased. In addition, the committee will select, subject to the common as of the such consider sense, devotion to duty, and loyalty to proper authoapproval papers general council, they may rities were not the sole prerogatives of women and that a worthy of publication in the Transactions of the society. The committee further suggest that it would be to the advantage of man with those qualities could nurse insane men as well a, the Royal Scctjty if a committee were formed of representatives of the various sections, charged with the duty of receiving all papers to be and with greater propriety than, any woman. The President read before the society or its sections. This committee should have called special attention to the importance, in the case of a power to decide before which section any given paper should be read, nurse, of a good personal character and individual fitness for and to decide whether other sections or the whole society should be asked to join in the discussion. Authors of papers should have the the work, and if the association would be prepared to take privilege of suggesting the section or sections before which they wished one more step towards bringing its nurses into line with the to read their papers. members of the Royal British Nurses’ Association and the It is hoped greatly to increase the value of the present library at Midwives Board a registration board might be established and to an additional for the 20, Hanover-square, provide reading-room which could make it compulsory for each nurse to qualify use of Fellows and members. Your committee ask the various societies concerned to consider the for the certificate. He was not sure that all the stir now scheme submitted at an early date and to inform the honorary made about State registration would be of much secretaries of their views. As soon as the committee is in possession of being material benefit to the nurses themselves, nor that the these v.ews further steps can be taken. In conclusion, your committee beg to express the unanimous opinion perking them up with a glistering pride might not end in that the union of medical societies will do much to enhance the their wearing a crown of sorrow. Whatever might be the prestige of British medicine, that it will increase the value of the outcome of the movement in regard to the State registration work at present carried out by existing societies, and that it will be to of nurses, he doubted if any scheme could improve upon the the great convenience of the medical profession. W. S. CHURCH, Chairman. excellent system of the Royal British Nurses’ Association (Signed) R. DOUGLAS POWELL. under the presidency of Her Royal Highness the Princess HENRY HEAD. Christian, to whom the association was largely indebted for JOHN LANGTON. DAVID H. GOODSALL. the interest which she took in the status of asylum-trained G. H. MAKINS. In conclusion, the President declared that psychonurses. CHARTERS J. SYMONDS. medicine was now more intimately associated with logical ARTHUR LATHAM, Honorary HERBERT S. PENDLEBURY, Secretaries. general medicine than formerly, and he trusted that it would continue to be the object of the association to strengthen the bonds which united them and wbih he believed would ere long bring them into one harmonious whole. THE MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIADr. GEORGE M. ROBERTSON, medical superintendent of the TION OF GREAT BRITAIN AND Stirling District Asylum at Larbert, Stirlingshire, introduced for discussion the question of the Employmeut of Female IRELAND. Nurses for the Care of Insane Men. He argued that nursing and that they were more tidy, THE annual meeting of this association was held at the was better done by women to patients, and looked better after the cleanbright, genial Medical Society’s rooms, Chandos-street, London, W., on liness of bedding and linen than did male nurses. Patients July 20th and 21st. also were more amenable to tactful management by them, On the opening day the chair was occupied during the but he thought that cases of delirium tremens, acute mania, earlier portion of the meeting by the President, Dr. R. PERCY and dangerous suicidal tendency were best placed in the care SMITH, and after the purely business portion had been of male nurses. As a system the female nursing of male transacted by the new President, Dr. T. OUTTERSON WOOD. patients, he argued, was to be encouraged. In Scotland it There was a very large attendance of members from all was tried and found to be successful and the Scottish

3. The

society

accommodation, if required,

scription

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"

"