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HENRY WALDO COE, M. D., Editor, Portland, Ore.

S. M. GELLERT, M. D., Associate Editor, Portland, Ore: With the Collaboration of the Officers of The State and District Medical Societies of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah

Entered at the Postoffice at Portland, Oregon as Second Class Mail Matter

Address all communications regarding papers, subscriptions, advertising or business mat ters to the MEDICAL SENTINEL, 516 Selling Building, Portland, Oregon

Volume 25

JANUARY 1917

EDITORIALS

Number 1

19015

THE MEDICAL SENTINEL WISHES ITS READERS A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS YEAR!

PORTLAND MEDICAL SOCIETY

The Portland City and County Medical Society is entitled to be one of the best professional organizations in the country. It has a record for efficient scientific work of which every member should be proud. It has stood for medical advancement for nearly half a century. Its list of presiding officers throughout its long life is one, almost without exception, of which its membership has reason to be proud. For the most of its life it has stood for independent thought and for personal liberty among its membership, where such thought and liberty has been for the healing of the people. It is only during recent years, when the government of the medical profession has been from the top, and not from the body of the membership, that its liberty and the liberty of the individual member had been passed by a sort of Grattan's Parliament to a band of dictators who control the American Medical Association, that the personal touch of the membership in the management of the medical societies has almost ceased. While present conditions in management are deplorable, there still exists the same desire for liberty of the individual as of yore, and in due course the profession will come into its own. There is no other great professional body which has surrendered its business affairs to a governing body, a body out of touch with the hard-working general membership which makes up such society.

The election of the officers of the local society still rests with the local body, and it augers well for the future when 150 and more members turn out, as occurred at the meeting recently of the Portland Medical Society, as a protest against management over the heads of the members.

The officers elected are among the younger leaders, scientific and progressive, keenly alive to the needs of the profession, hard workers and possessing high ideals. The Medical Sentinel predicts that a most successful year's work is ahead of the society. It is the duty of every man, "and woman," who helped elect these officers, to attend the sessions, thereby confirming the good things expected as shown in the large majorities given such officers.

WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?

That there was a slate for presentation to the society, everybody admits. Its personnel was never concealed. Some committee of the society openly asked the ex-presidents to present a slate. Seven ex-presidents of the society met-all ex-presidents were invited, we assume and a slate was approved. We say "slate" because it was never called anything else, at the meeting of the ex-presidents nor anywhere else. It was put out as a slate.

The meeting was held at the office of the retiring president, Dr. George Whiteside. The reason for the slate was explained: it being to guard against the wrong members being nominated for office by the general membership. Those who engineered the move sent word that there was danger in the masses of the profession, and that caution was needed. Also that the movement of last year, by which the five last presidents selected the list was fraught with danger of defeat.

And then George began to read the slate from a paper before him and to ask for debate, if any.

A couple of the seven straightened up. Bob Yenney, even, was somewhat wrathy, objecting to slates in general. The names were of good men, and the ex-presidents having no other slate ready, the prepared one went through a flying.

The seven ex-presidents had nothing to do with making this slate. We are of the opinion that George himself did not make up this slate, for Dr. Dillihunt was thereupon, and George changed it later to Dr. Baird with the remark that he would fix this matter with a leading doctor (name mentioned), so that it would be all right.

The slate however was withdrawn in the face of the full as

sembly room at the meeting with 25 others unable to gain entrance from the hall, and the unmistakable evidence upon every face was that something was going to happen. In fact, it was declared to be unconstitutional. The slate was another Cock

Robin. It was destined to, and met a horrible death.

The question is not, Why did some committee ask the expresidents to make up a slate? It is not, Why did the ex-presidents go into this kind of politics, for the ex-presidents merely approved. The real question is, Who put it over on George Whiteside? Who killed Cock Robin?

OFFICERS OF THE PORTLAND MEDICAL SOCIETY

At the recent meeting of the society the following officers were elected from the floor: President, Dr. J. M. Short; Dr. C. J. McCusker, vice-president; Dr. J. Guy Strohm, secretary, re-elected; Dr. Katherine C. Manion, treasurer; council, Drs. David N. Roberg, Ralph Fenton, Mary McLaughlin, H. M. Greene and C. C. Moore.

Delegates were chosen to represent the society at the meeting of the Oregon State Medical Society as follows: Drs. J. Chris O'Day, A. C. Smith, William S. Knox, W. B. Holden, L. H. Hamilton, Eugene Rockey, Ernst A. Sommer, H. Mount and E. McDaniel.

VICIOUS MEDICAL LEGISLATION

Ninety-nine thousand seven hundred and forty-five people at the recent election voted to abolish compulsory vaccination in Oregon, while only 100,671 voted to maintain the present situation, in which vaccination may be enforced in schools and other places, in the presence of a threatened epidemic of smallpox. This proposition, fathered by well-meaning persons, vicious in import though it was, came within less than a thousand votes of carrying, out of over 200,00 cast upon the question.

Drs. J. C. Smith of Grants Pass and W. D. Wood of Hillsboro, state senators, and Drs. Charles T. Sweeney of Murphy and H. A. Dedman of Canby, members of the house, will likely have to meet this issue again in the coming session of the Oregon Legislature.

Among medical practitioners, the question has arisen how the people of the state could be so beguiled as to cast as many votes as they did favorable to the proposed act. The Medical Sentinel rather inquires how so many of our people were level

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