another place. Behind the chairman and Dr. Osler were five ladies-Dr. Cooper, from Brisbane, Australia, and Dr. Lelia Davis, Dr. Greenway, Dr. McMurchy and Dr. Julia Thomas. Chester Massey and Dr. N. A. Powell also had seats, the latter being librarian.

Dr. Reeve described Dr. Osler's visit as a happy coincidence with the opening of the library. They owed him a great deal, as he was the largest subscriber, except Mr. Massey, who had supplemented their funds by the very handsome donation of $5,000. Dr. Osler had long ago given words of encouragement and advice worth more even than the $1,000 he had contributed. Dr. Osler was the author of the most popular text-book on medicine, suited not only to the student, but consulted with advantage by medical men the world over.

Dr. Osler rose amid applause.

It gave him great pleasure to be present, he said, and declare the building open. It was for their intellectual refreshment, always in order for medical men, and for friendly and social intercourse, also always in order. The institution would have a dual influence, a very important direct influence coming first. They could all appreciate their deficiencies. It was a poor

doctor, indeed, who had not borne in to him the fact that he could be much better. There was but one way of improvement, the careful and intelligent study of the cases before him. They talked of large experience and years of practice, but these were not necessarily an advantage. Years might bring sterility. Many did not study, and the older they grew the worse doctors they got to be. They could not study without books, and a good reference library was almost impossible for one doctor to gather together. It was better to subscribe to such a library, and have access to all the periodicals and literature of the profession and keep up his cases by reference to the experience of other men.

Such a library fostered the best traditions of the profession, which, without disparagement to others, he considered were older, better and nobler than those of any other profession. They would remember the Hippocratic oath and the high aims of the Greek physicians, which never were equalled, and which were theirs today. In a home of this sort such traditions should be nurtured and fostered. There were few finer than their own local traditions, and in such a place portraits of old notables of the profession should be hung, books, papers and manuscripts obtained from their families and stored there, as was done in Boston. The family papers of Dr. Widmer were an example, and all of these should be in a fireproof safe. Records of Dr. Bovelle, Dr. Hodder and many older men should, and no doubt would, there find an appropriate storehouse.

There were too many laymen there to let him speak as he would, or he might give the profession away entirely in dealing with the indirect advantages. Even laymen knew that doctors sometimes disagreed, and were a wee bit sensitive with one another. There was a little too much antagonism in certain sections of the profession, and they did not always get along as they should. Some of the older men had had bad teachers. He would not particularize, but they came from bad schools in the Old Country, where the worst possible example of jealousies, bickering and personal animosities among the professors was set to the students. When the seniors were thus in active hostility, what could be expected of the juniors? No man over fifty should ever believe any story told about a contemporary.

"When there is any trouble now," said Dr. Osler, "it is one of these confounded patients generally a woman-who has stirred up hostility." Great laughter occurred over this passage. They should never under any circumstances listen to anything about a brother practitioner. The laughter was renewed when he added:

"Don't believe it even if you know it's true." A little selfsacrifice would do them no harm and stimulate them in connection with the library. When they got past the bread-andbutter stage and he knew some who had not got past the bread stage-they should help as they were able. The public ought to know how difficult it was for a doctor to save anything in the first twenty years of his practice. As he got on, such a building should become the object of their careful solicitude.

Amid bursts of laughter he rallied them on their tendency to stock investment and speculation. They had sunk too much in War Eagle and such ventures. Next time a promoter came along they should put $50 in Golden Fleece and $100 in the library, a much better investment.

"You might have had the handsomest building in America, with marble front and Grecian candidate, if you had not been such fools financially. Doctors do not appreciate the fact that no doctor has any financial sense. He is not of the profession where he could get it." The library was only a start. They should have their rooms not only filled with books, but a hall built at the back. God speed you in your future work," he concluded.

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Chester Massey had a high admiration for the profession, and thought he had a good right to, for he had had more to do with them than most men of his age, and they had treated him well. There was a formidable array of physicians present, and he hoped it augured well for the new-born child which he might say was now receiving infant baptism. The grade of service and quality of their work the world over entitled medicine to rank next to theology. An ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure, and as the ministers sounded their notes of warning it was the duty of

the doctors to keep us out of trouble physically, and prevention should be the strongest element in their practice. He suggested a stated periodical visit for the doctor to examine and prescribe and see that all was well. Mr. Massey said that the contribution of which they spoke should be credited to his father's estate, and that he merited no more credit than the humblest citizen. He hoped they would find that they had builded better than they knew.

Dr. Reeve stated that the library was due to the suggestion of the late Dr. J. E. Graham, a portrait of whom would adorn the library. They owed a great deal to their president, Dr. Ross, and next to him to Dr. N. A. Powell.

Dr. Powell, in a conversation with Mr. Massey, had touched him with a quotation from a hymn:

"And shall we ever live

With this poor dying wreck."

In a heart-to-heart talk with Dr. Ross he had aroused his interest. The munificence of Dr. Osler, of Timothy Eaton, of E. B. Osler and the kind consideration of the university authorities had enabled them to acquire the building, worth from $10,000 to $12,000, with a lease of twenty-one years entirely free of debt, and with enough money invested to pay the ground rent. They had 7,000 or 8,000 volumes in the library, and hoped to have the medical societies meet there. He invited them all to come in at $5 a year. They would fit one room in the name of Dr. J. E. Graham and another in the name of Dr. Osler, whom they would claim and name as brother still.

Refreshments were served at the close of the formalities and the visitors spread over the building. The large north room will be used for meetings; the south front room for new books and visitors; the room behind as a coffee room. Upstairs there are five large rooms for stacking books and a large bathroom. A large brick building in the rear will be used for surplus books and magazines. Electric lighting and hot water heating are installed throughout the house, which has been known as the Thorne residence, 9 Queen's Park.

THE THIRTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

THE thirty-eighth annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association will be held in Halifax, N.S., from the 22nd to the 25th of August, 1905, both days inclusive, under the presidency of Dr. John Stewart, of that city. Recently there was held in Halifax a special meeting of the Medical Society of Nova Scotia, when

were present several members from the surrounding country near Halifax. It was decided that the Medical Society of Nova Scotia should act as hosts and entertainers of the Canadian Medical Association. Dr. G. Carleton Jones has resigned from the position as local secretary, and the President, on the advice of his Executive, has appointed Dr. J. R. Curston as local secretary, Dr. Jones having been appointed chairman of the General Committee of Arrangements. The address in surgery will be delivered by Mr. Francis Caird, of the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, and the address in gynecology will be delivered by Dr. Howard A. Kelly, of Johns Hopkins, Baltimore. The title of his address will be Cystitis in Women." Dr. J. W. Stirling, of Montreal, will deliver an address in ophthalmology. In addition to this there will be addresses in medicine and pathology, and Dr. A. J. McCosh, of New York, will also be asked to present a paper.

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The General Secretary is now in communication with the transportation companies as regards rates, and an effort will be made to have transportation extended to Sydney, the Canadian Pittsburg, with return via Portland, Boston or New York. From the manner in which the Maritime medical men have taken hold of matters it is expected that the meeting in Halifax will be fully up to the best meeting vet held.

Any one desiring to present papers or specimens or make demonstrations should enter at an early date into communication with the General Secretary, Dr. Geo. Elliott, Toronto.

GOLDEN WEDDING OF DR. ANSON BUCK AND HIS
HELPMEET.

THE fiftieth anniversary of the marriage of Dr. Anson Buck and Keturah Adelaide Howell was celebrated on Tuesday, December 27th, at their home, Palermo. There were present their children, Mr. and Mrs. Colin C. McPhee, of Montreal, and Hon. Colin H. and Mrs. Campbell, of Winnipeg, with their infant son, Colin Howell Campbell, and the immediate relatives of Dr. and Mrs. Buck. Two sisters of the bride, Mrs. Teeter, of Burlington, and Mrs. C. P. Lawrence, were the only guests present who attended the ceremony of fifty years ago. Gifts, letters and telegrams of congratulation from different parts of Canada and the United States testified to the very great esteem in which Dr. and Mrs. Buck are held by the many friends they have made.

Dr. Buck, who at the time of his marriage had just graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons, London, England, was the youngest son of Philip Buck, who was born at Lachine, Que., his parents at that time making their way with other U. E. Loyal

ists to Canada at the close of the War of the American Revolution. Mrs. Buck was the second daughter of John Triller Howell, also of U. E. Loyalist stock, so that for over a century both families have been identified with the history of Halton County. Dr. Buck began the practice of his profession in his native village, and soon succeeded in building up a very extensive practice, which he has attended to for fifty-one years,. and to-day is as active and energetic as at any time during the half century. In addition to the demands of his practice Dr. Buck has devoted a great deal of attention to political, municipal and church affairs. For thirtyseven years he has been a member of the Township Council of Trafalgar, twenty as reeve, and for twenty-three years he sat in the County Council. He has also been greatly interested in temperance work.

Liberal.

In politics Dr. Buck has been an enthusiastic

Dr. and Mrs. Buck have the best wishes of their host of friends for many more years of health and happiness.

DEATHS IN NOVEMBER, 1904.

THE returns from the office of the Provincial Board of Health for November are not so complete as those received a year ago, as several municipalities failed to report and the number of deaths recorded are much less. The deaths, as reported in November, 1903, were 2,081, and for the same period this year are 1,910 from a reporting population of 1,900,100, but the death rate per 1,000 remains practically the same, being 12.1 and 12 per cent.

The decrease in the number of cases and deaths of infectious diseases is the most interesting feature of the returns. The total number of cases reported for November this year is 856, and deaths 225, while for the same month in 1903, as may be seen by the table below, 1,062 cases and 259 deaths were reported, which is a case decrease of nearly 20 per cent. and in deaths 13 per

cent.

COMPARATIVE TABLE