for each other. Will you join us and work with new vigor and fresh zeal for our mutual advancement? Will you help us to supply the demand and thus help yourselves by increased membership of men and women of whom you can be proud?

N. B. DELAMATER, M. D., Chairman.

GEORGE ROYAL, M. D., Secretary.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.

The American Institute of Homeopathy, Gentlemen:-Your Committee beg to report that they commend all the recommendations made by our President in his able address. Upon which recommendations to put a special emphasis it is difficult to decide, as none of the suggestions are of minor importance. We will say, however, that in your Committee's judgment the following certainly demand immediate consideration:

I. The Institute must be the supreme body, that body of which all are members, be they considered individually, as bureaus, as sectional societies, as State, city, county, or still more local bodies. Whether section struggle against injustice occurs, seemingly conflicting views arise, or diversifying medical or surgical interests tend toward disintegration, the Institute must be the governing and judicial body to harmonize them all and turn misdirected energy to more profitable account. The Institute needs to achieve amalgamation among its component parts, if it maintains its position of dignity and holds its power as a Supreme Medical Council.

II. This is the auspicious time and place for enlarging upon the necessity and momentous undertaking of forming a National Institute of Drug-Proving.

III. The recommendation relative to building of strong bureaus in materia medica and homeopthics is very pertinent, especially so when it is appreciated that a strong influence in certain quarters tends to minimize the value of our work in these distinguishing and vital characteristics of our principles of practice.

IV. The advice and recommendations relative to medical, educational qualifications is especially important to those engaged in the conduct of colleges and in giving medical instruction.

V. The matter of indexing and arranging for convenient and ready reference the Institute's proceedings, as suggested in Dr. Wm. Davis Foster's letter should receive attention, and provision should be made for having the work done.

VI. The Committee recommends that the Institute publish

President Sutherland's address as a separate pamphlet and cause it to be widely distributed.

Your Committee congratulates your presiding officer upon his practical and pertinent recommendations, their business-like and concise presentation, and urges upon your body the consideration demanded by their importance. Very respectfully submitted,

W. B. HINSDALE,

G. F. SHEARS,

H. H. BAXTER,

Committee.

THE PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERMA

NENT INSTITUTE FOR THE PROVING OF DRUGS.

Your Committee has the honor to report that they have given this subject careful consideration, and are unanimous in the opinion that no greater field is offered in any scientific branch of study in any of the efforts made for the betterment of mankind or for the general good of the wealthy and the poor alike than is presented by the possibilities offered by the establishment of such an Institute.

The Committee believes that by the combined efforts of the members of the American Institute of Homeopathy the establishment in some form, of at least, a bureau, which shall control, through the distribution of funds, the proving of drugs somewhat upon the plan outlined by Dr. H. P. Bellows, is a possibility. Following the suggestions made by Dr. B. F. Bailey in his presidential address at Atlantic City, and Dr. A. B. Norton in his address before the O., O. and L. Society, when the president, Dr. Bellows, as you all know, first formulated a method by which drugs could be studied intelligently, their symptoms collated and put in a convenient form. He has in his possession, and will offer to the Institute, in due time, the results of fifty-three provings of Belladonna, records of which cover over 700 typewritten pages, and promise most satisfactory results. Many of the symptoms that we have relied upon have been verified, and many new ones added.

This is not the place to discuss critically these reports, but they show the possibilities of the work, and give a forecast of the results. In addition, they prove the absolute necessity that an Institute of drug proving should be established for this purpose alone. The work is too great, the time required too long, and the demands upon this Institute, which will be made after the work is started, too onerous to

ask any one engaged in the practice of medicine for a livelihood to undertake.

The Committee, in agreeing to the desirability of the establishment of such an Institute, also agrees that the main object should be the study of the effects of drugs upon healthy persons, and the presentation of the same in such form as shall make them useful in the practice of medicine regardless of schools. The ultimate object of all this work must be the relief of suffering and the cure of disease, but the Committee fails to find any method that promises such good results as that already adopted by the school of Homeopathy, and as that school has among its adherents those best qualified, by reason of experience, to appreciate, record intelligently and classify with reasonable expectation of its final recognition, the conduct of the institution of drug proving should be vested in a board selected from among the membership of the American Institute of Homeopathy. Surely, it would not be reasonable to entrust such important work to those who are seeking for specifics as remedial agents, or who base their hope upon either the physiological effects or chemical affinity of the drugs investigated.

All through nature we find the provision of an antidote for a poison; we find that the instinct of animals leads them to the kinds of food required for their cure when sick, and yet we are told by practitioners of all the schools, excepting our own, that for at least one hundred years there has been but little, if any, progress in the treatment of disease so far as it depends upon the administration of drugs in any form.

When we remember that our school has used the same remedies, with the same indications in the treatment of the same diseases ever since the first records were published by Hahnemann, with results indisputably better, as far as death rates, length of life secured and general results are concerned, our claim to be the ones entrusted with the work is established. Our obligations to do it result from the fact that we are the possessors of this knowledge. Its possession makes it obligatory that we formulate what we have, and when possible, present it in a manner that no one who is entitled to recognition as a scientist can question the results. Having done this, we can afford to leave the adoption of the law to the scientists referred to.

How to bring about these results has been the subject of much inquiry and discussion. First, a considerable sum of money must be secured. Such funds when secured must be segregated from all other educational funds. It should be a trust fund placed in the hands of a board of trustees, representing the various interests com

bined in the American Institute of Homeopathy. The board of trustees should have power to fill vacancies, should select the drugs to be proven, or select those who are to conduct the investigations; should pass upon the equipment of laboratories whose use is offered, and they should have power to aid by appropriation or to meet the whole. expense of such investigation when necessary.

The plan followed by the Carnegie Institute seems to meet the requirements of our proposed institution. Many facts showing the absolute disregard of the important study of remedies for the treatment of diseases afflicting man have come to light.

In 1902-03 $17,915,075 were donated by private individuals, entirely exclusive of Government and State aid, for educational institutions of the country. Of this amount the schools of medicine not connected with universities, and including the schools of dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, received $39,336. There is no record showing that any part of this amount was devoted to the original investigation of the effects of drugs, whether considered in the abstract or as recommended as specifics.

We find many buildings devoted to the study of pathology, and call your attention to the last $700,000 expended by the University of Pennsylvania. But in the light of the confession made at the dedication, it would seem that the time has come when some practical efforts were being made to lessen the material used in the laboratories. The mention and publication of such facts as these should arouse to action those who are able to donate larger or smaller sums for this purpose.

In conclusion, your Committee would request an expression of opinion of the members of the Institute as to the great desirability for the establishment of the institute suggested, empower the Committee to prepare such literature as would be of value to those who have the opportunity to present the subject to those who have the ability to give aid, and that the Committee be continued in order that it may assist in this work.

J. B. GREGG CUSTIS, M. D., Chairman.
GEORGE ROYAL, M. D.,

W. A. DEWEY, M. D.,

E. H. WOLCOTT, M. D.,
CHAS. MOHR, M. D.

Would we could bring home to each reader of the REPORTER the beauty and impressiveness of the Memorial services. When we think of the attempts made in the past to honor those who between meetings

have passed away, we are ashamed to have such memories, but of the tribute at Niagara Falls we have nothing but commendation. It was dignified, impressive in the extreme, one which the loved ones of our dear friends should have attended. They would have been more than ever sensible of the respect, honor and love meted out to these men. Who could listen to Thomas Franklin Smith's tribute to his friend, to our friend-T. Y. Kinne, and not feel that his loss is a personal loss to every Institute member? and yet it was not a doleful, dry affair. It was a happy treatment of a great misfortune. Jones' words of love concerning Van Norman, Danforth's beautiful eulogy of Dearborn, Waldo's tribute to Paine, Terry's eloquence over Guernsey-and last and greatest-Gatchell's oration-all were something worth remembering. Gatchell was at his best. Such a beautiful, eloquent, touching address has not been heard on the floor of the Institute these many years. He indeed is the Institute's "silver-tongued

orator."

And the music was just right. It consisted of quartette music and solos, which were exactly appropriate and which were heard by the immense audience in a spirit of appreciation. We congratulate chairman Hinsdale on the effectiveness of his program. It could not have been better.

The officers of the Institute for 1905 are as follows: Geo. Royal, M. D., Des Moines, President; W. R. King, M. D., Washington, First Vice-President; Wm. Boericke, M. D., San Francisco, Second VicePresident; Ch. Gatchell, M. D., Chicago, Secretary; T. Franklin Smith, M. D., New York, Treasurer; J. Richey Horner, M. D., Cleveland, Registrar; Eldridge C. Price, M. D., Baltimore, Censor; John E. James, M. D., Philadelphia, Necrologist.

The committee and bureau appointments made by President Sutherland were as follows:

Organization, Registration and Statistics Committee: T. Franklin Smith, M. D., Chairman, New York; W. D. Hough, M. D., Niagara Falls: H. R. Stout, M. D., Jacksonsville, Fla.; D. A. Strickler, M. D., Denver; H. C. Aldrich, M. D., Minneapolis.

Transportation Committee: W. O. Forbes, M. D., Chairman, Hot Springs, Ark.; J. B. Garrison, M. D., New York; Fred. W. Wood, M. D., Chicago; J. Herbert Moore, M. D., Boston.

Publication Committee: John R. Kippax, M. D., Chairman. Chicago; O. S. Runnels, M. D., Indianapolis; E. C. Price, M. D., Balti

more.

Press Committee: S. II. Aurand, M. D., Chairman, Chicago; Gilbert Fitzpatrick, M. D., Chicago; L. C. McElwee, M. D., St. Louis.