XIV International Medical Congress will meet in Madrid, Spain.A considerable number of American physicians will attend the 14th International Medical Congress, to be held in Madrid, April 23-30, 1903. As all those who wish to attend the Congress have a common objective point, it is thought that they can be associated to advantage in one or more excursion parties. In this way the social features of the trip will be enhanced, and each individual will be surrounded by those who are personally congenial. By such association better accommodations can be secured and at a considerable reduction in price. Additional security will also be attained, as parts of the trip which include comparatively unfrequented routes of travel, will be under the charge of a travelling conductor who is thoroughly conversant with the language and customs of the countries visited. As there will doubtless be some divergence as to choice of routes depending on individual inclination and previous opportunities of foreign travel, several returning routes have been selected, the itineraries of which, although separate from a portion of the journey, have been arranged that the principal points are visited together. The party will sail from New York City, on April 11th, on the twin-ocean steamer, "Princess Irene," North German Lloyd, direct to Gibraltar. Tickets for the round trip, including hotel and sight-seeing, $275, $375 and $515, according to the tour selected. It is important that all who contemplate taking this trip should register at once, so that reservations for hotel in Madrid may be satisfactorily arranged. Final arrangements will be in the hands of the well-known conductors, Thos. Cook & Sons, which insures perfect and complete service in all details. Full information and copies of itinerary may be obtained by addressing either of the last named undersigned. LUCIEN HOWE, M. D. Buffalo, N. Y. WM. W. KEEN, M.D. NICHOLAS SENN, M.D. J. B. MURPHY, M.D. Chicago, Ill. Jos. M. MATHEWS, M. D. San Francisco, Cal. PROMPTNESS. Following is a list of those who won prizes for promptness in remit Dr. Robert Barclay, St. Louis, Mo. ting their renewal subscriptions: Another contest will be announced shortly. Issued Tenth and Twenty-fifth of Every Month by the Fortnightly Press Co. UNDER THE EDITORIAL DIRECTION OF FRANK PARSONS NORBURY, M. D. AND THOS. A. HOPKINS, M. D. Secretary: CHARLES WOOD FASSETT, M. D. A COSMOPOLITAN BIWEEKLY FOR THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER Editorial Offices in St. Louis, Jacksonville and, St. Joseph, where specimen copies may be obtained and subscriptions will be taken. Address all business communications to the Fortnightly Press Company. Address all contributions and books for review to the Editors, Suite 312, Century Building, Saint Louis. Volume XXIII MARCH TWENTY-FIFTH Editorial Department. Number 6 THE MEDICAL FORTNIGHTLY believes in organization of the profession for the purposes of mutual benefit in a scientific way and for the value of The County thorough organization in securing and preserving the rights to which the physicians of this country are entitled. To secure the first of these desired benefits it is necessary that care, time and deliberation be given to the program. Physicians are busy men, but the men who are doing the most work professionally, are also giving the most attention to the thoroughness of their preparation when they appear on the program of a medical society. For this reason they are accredited, and justly, too, with being progressive, and the society before which they appear is ranked among the working societies. The transactions of such organizations become of value, not only to the members of this soociety, but to the profession at large. For this reason every working society should arrange to preserve its transactions, by publishing them in some form, so that their valuable efforts may be appreciated. Every county society can become a working society if it is organized with a view of helping every member individually, and giving forth collectively meritorious work to help the profession in general. The transactions can be published, and we would say just here, that we would be pleased to offer our assistance in the publication of society transactions. The production a paper gives the author a schooling in composition, in carefulness of preparation and ability in observation. The discussion of his paper shows him the views of others, pricks the theorizing and makes practical the work of the author. The publication of transactions gives solidity to work, gives an opportunity for the progressive observer to present his work to a wider range of interested workers, and extends his professional acquaintance. Professional success means more than the dollar side of our work, it means the development of the true professional instinct-the spirit of progress, and the desire to be of help to others. Hence, in the county society is centered the opportunity for professional achievements, these should be grasped and made to do what they are capable of doing, toward the betterment of the profession and for the good they will do the public whose servants are the physicians. Again, physicians need organization for the value of it to themselves. We are not selfish, but we are believers in self-preservation, and this is to be found in united endeavor to perfect laws that will aid the profession, preserve professional integrity, overcome make-believe and quackery, and aid the public from the onslaught of the parasites of medicine who live or public credulity. The knowledge that every county is organized is in itself a great safeguard against quackery, and if every society would lend its influence in State legislation it would not be long before every State would have protection in keeping with the higher motives of true physicians. Let every county society organize thoroughly, maintain high ideals— work hard, win success for the honor and glory of our profession. F. P. N. THERE are clever writers on the editorial staff of the great Chicago Record-Herald. One fellow in particular has a trenchant pen (patterned after Newspaper a hypodermic needle) with which he pricks at all things medical-harpoons, as it were, things of which he has but a superficial knowledge, and at all times he is inclined to be funny. Some microcephalic idiots are funny-a few even see things in their true light, but witless endeavor to be funny falls with a sickening thud. It is unfortunate that the public must get at first hand their knowledge of progress in medicine written in the language of lax wit. It is unjust, unreasonable, and bespeaks enmity toward the spirit of true, honest endeavor. The recent attack upon the experiments of Dr. Crile, of Cleveland, by the Record-Herald, were pueril, while attempting to be pedantic, and surely fell short of being a credit to that otherwise wholesome commentator on current events. Crile needs no defense from the medical journals for every physician familiar with the progress of medicine knows his position in American research work, but we do protest against the attack upon research work in general, and the utter disregard of what such work means to the practice of medicine in particular. Opposition, it seems, is a law in nature-nothing advances without overcoming friction-and friction, too, is necessary to aid progress; it is rare that any event in the world's history which leaves its mark on civilization is ever accomplished without a struggle. Experimental medicine has it to meet on every hand, but there is a difference in struggles," the true scientist welcomes discussion when back of it there is knowledge, but he detests the idle pipings of superficial iconoclasts. The newspaper cannot be the true teacher of the significance of events if it puts constructions upon experiments such as those of Crile in a light. such as appeared editorially in the "great I will" daily of Chicago. F. P. N. IN THESE DAYS of great wealth, when fortunes are amassed by individuals within the space of a human life; wealth indeed, beyond the expectations of the most sanguine believers in America and its possibilities, it is fitting that endowments be made. to further the development of science, and in this way be a potent help in benefiting mankind in general. The Carnegie Institute in Washington, the Rockefeller Institute in New York and the Phipps Sanatorium in Philadelphia are noble examples of wealth directed to influence civilization by furthering the growth of scientific knowledge. Research Medicine offers an alluring field for research workers, and doubtless the fruits of these great endowments will be a source of great blessing to humanity. One of the best comments we have read on this subject appears in the Medical Age and we take pleasure in reprinting it because it expresses tersely our own views: "It is refreshing to find that Mr. Rockefeller, of Standard Oil notoriety, does not confine his diversions to epistolary indiscretions. His philanthropic aspirations are not to be entirely satisfied by bequeathing to posterity the indisputable blessings that he conceives to proceed from the creation and preservation of a great trust. He is, as he should be, a great believer in the universal efficacy of patience and cheap oil. Having devoted such portion of his life as the pangs of intestinal indigestion will permit him to the achievement of one great life purpose, the supplying of cheap oil, he now proposes to endow human patience with a modicum of his oil profits. To accomplish this high mission he has largely augmented the scope of the Rockefeller Institute. As originally established the institute had no home of its own, but utilized its endowments for the purpose of subsidizing research by means of various scholarships, and research. work was by these means conducted at some twenty home and foreign universities. New York has now been selected as the permanent headquarters of the institute, and its usefulness will be much increased, and the scope of its operations much enlarged. "The plans of the directors contemplate the immediate erection of a single laboratory in which will be provided an equipment for investigations in physiological chemistry, hygiene and preventive medicine, pharmacology and therapeutics, normal and pathological physiology, and the study of micro-organisms. The institute will also assume the publication of the Journal of Experimental Medicine established some time ago by Dr. Welch of the Johns Hopkins University. The idea which dominates the directors is to extend the influence of the institute by means of lectures and publications, and later to provide accommodations for a limited number of patients on whom newly discovered facts may be made operative. In fact, a large and unlimited future is opening for the institute. "The inherent wisdom of a scheme of this kind is beyond all praise. It means a return to the people of the wealth they have been instrumental in producing in a higher and better form. It is returning gold for silver. Mr. Rockefeller appears in the character of the fakir who went abroad selling new lamps for old ones. Standard oil comes back as an intellectual illumination. The patience and exactitude of the laboratory man will find the means whereby they continue-and patience and cheap oil will conquer all, or at least some, of the many affections of mankind. "There may have been those who have arrogated to themselves the divine prerogatives of judgment. Let them pause before they condemn. Let them contemplate the untold blessings likely to proceed from such a utilization of wealth, and let them encourage by their sympathy practical philanthropy of this kind." The Illinois THE ILLINOIS STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY will meet this year in Chicago, April 29, 30 and May 1 and 2. The meeting promises to be of great value, first, because under the new organization plan the Illinois State Medical Society is the second largest State organization in the United States; in consequence a greater membership means greater attendance, greater interest, greater discussion, and greater value accruing to those who attend. Second, Chicago offers valuable attractions to all medical men, it is the coming medical center of this country, and is today in clinical equipment one of the foremost cities. The Chicago medical profession is the most thoroughly organized, the most cohesive and thoroughly harmonious of any of the medical centers, and when they unite to do a thing, they [succeed wonderfully. It behooves every physician of the State to get in line for the Chicago meeting. Go with the idea of having the benefit, first, of the meeting, and second, of a few days in Chicago. The President of the society, Dr. M. L. Harris, of Chicago, and his committees, are working hard to make this meeting a memorable one, and we trust that their endeavors will meet with the greatest success. Substitution WE have so often expressed our contempt for the substitutor, and have warned our readers of the necessity of being constantly vigilant against this evil that anything more on the subject would be superfluous were it not not that the end we are after is yet far from accomplished, and will only be accomplished by patient and presevering work on the part of the whole profession. It would seem that the larger part of the profession is indifferent on this subject to an extent that is distinctly culpable. An editorial from a recent number of Medical News is before us, and we quote a parargaph: and Lay Periodicals. "Commissioner Lederle has set in operation a wholesale examination of the stuff that is commonly sold as phenacetin. His physicians and staff have purchased phenacetin powders from 373 drug stores, in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The official report gives the names of all, and includes many well-known drug stores, and department stores. Among these samples, only 58 were found to be pure phenacetin, while the greater num |