The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-05
ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT.
In Legislative Affairs the COnven
ton Lacks Efficiency.

ton Lacks Efficiency
The annual address of DR.. A. L. Reed.
Of Cincinnati president of the American
Medical association, was delivered yes
terday. morning a. the Metropolitan
opera house The address was very COM
prehensiYe and forms one of the most
conspicuous features of the convention
proceedings. In the course of his re-
marks, DR.. Reed said:
observe that under the judicious man
agement of your board of trustees you
had a cash balance at the end of the last
fiscal year of $31,OO4.67, being an excess
of IS 696.66 over the preceding year. Your
plant has been increased in value to the
amount of nearly $4,000, and the net pro-
fits of the Journal amount to nearly $14,-
600. You will be gratified to realize that,
In addition, you have safely invested as
part of a fund with which to buy a home
for the Journal and for the association,
the respectable sum of $4,000"
The results accomplished by the board
Of trustees, Dr. Reed said, would have
been impossible had not the association,
through the boards action, become in
corpOrated.
Referring to the scientific work Of the
association, the president said:
THE association began it's career with
general meetings devoted chiefly to ques-
tons of medical education and profess
sional conduct, and to lengthy reports
from various standing committees. In
1860 it divided itself into a few sections,
each with certain autonomy, and each
scientific work. This change was fol-
lowed by the establishment of the judi
clal council, by which means contro-
versial questions, many of them of a per-
son4 character, were eliminated from
the general meetings. The subsequent
creation Of the executive committee still
further relieved the general meetings of
annoying details. Thus relieved both the
grown in scientific Importance emphasiZ-
ing the persistence of our devotion to
what must ever be recognized as the
essential, fundamental object of our or
ganization-the cultivation of the medi-
cal sciences. 1t must be acknowledged
however, that great as has been the prog
ress IN this particular too much of the
Tune or our general sessions is yet devot-
ed to the consideration of matters which
might, with propriety, be relegated for
final action to a smaller body. 1t would
rebound largely to the interest Of our
annual session if the general membership
could be entertained and instructed at
our general meetings by exercises Of a
more scientific character of such broad
nature that they should not be restricted
! to any of the sections"
Notwithstanding the permanent national
legislative committee and it's excellent
work, Which proves that there is some
evidence of the voice Of the progression
at Washington" Dr. Reed declares that
more attention must be paid to legisla-
tive affairs that affect the profession. if
lts interests are TO be properly guarded"
The 1nefficiency Of our present organ
ization for influence upon congress was
shown in the inability of your commit
tee, notwithstanding It's strong personnel
and the influence at it's command to pre-
vent the degradation of the army med
ical service. This was accomplished by
the passage of a bill under the cham
pionship of Senator Hawley, by the terms
OF which the medical corps of the army
is subjected to unfair and humiliating
discrimination. This law grades the med
ical department for rank, promotion, and
in consequence, for pay, below every
other department and special corps of the
army, and with the exception of second
Hemenants, it is graded below the line
In accordance with it's provisions, a med
ical officer, to obtain a colonelcy, must
pass through three times as many files
as an officer of either the quartermas-
ter's, the subsistence or the pay depart