It broadens and develops a physician's moral and mental qualities. It detracts from him the selfish and envious qualities that are so apt to grow in a physician, if he holds himself aloof from the better classes.

Were we able to double the strength of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, and double its intellectual activity, the moral and intellectual qualities of the physicians of the State would be seen to grow as do the best business enterprises that are handled by the most successful business men in the United States; and ! wish to repeat, that the only reason that we, the physicians of Alabama, do not get out of the State organization the best that is possible for it to produce, is because we are not first class business men. I wish just here to mention a few things that I think have operated very materially against the best interests of our county societies. One is an individual error; it is a failure of the individuals to appreciate the results from an active society worker, and a failure to appreciate his individual duty as he mixes and mingles with his fellow-practitioners.

Another is a county society error in which the county societies elect the wrong man to the important positions of president and secretary of the county society. Nothing will injure the county society like the election of inactive and lazy men to the office of president and that of secretary.

I know men now occupying these positions in the Southern District of Alabama who have not energy enough and love enough for the county society to open their office doors to welcome the physicians who have assembled there. I have known a county society in which the physicians held 50 per cent. of their meetings without the presence of the president or vice-president, although the place of meeting was the town in which the leading officer lived. The third evil of which I speak is an error committed by this Association in the selection of counsellors. Last year I spoke in my report of three counsellors in the State who had not attended a single meeting of their county societies in a year. I am glad to say that while this condition may have existed in the past twelve months I have been unable to find it out, but I do know that there are many counsellors who are getting all the honors that they possibly can out of the position, and doing as little for their county societies as they possibly can.

As was suggested by our president in his annual message last year, it is very necessary to exercise great care in the selection of counsellors. I do not approve of his plan for their selection, for it would make way for political evil which is already very promi

nent in this Association, but I do think vacancies should remain unfilled for a year or two rather than fill them hastily, and unwisely. It has not been my intention to be unkind to any individual or set of individuals, but I am with all my soul, heart, and strength, opposed to indolence and selfishness among our members, and opposed to the neglect and violation of the most potent principles of our Association.

Dr. Walter Howard Bell, Junior Vice-President, then subImitted his report covering the Northern Division of the State:

REPORT OF THE JUNIOR VICE-PRESIDENT.

WALTER HOWARD BELL, M. D., HARGROVE, ALABAMA.

Senior Counsellor of The Medical Association of the State of Alabama. Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama:

Following the suggestion of our Senior Censor, in making my report to you to-day, I have classified the counties in the Northern Di. vision in accordance with the plan used by some of my recent predcessors, as follows:

Class 1.

Includes those counties in which the organization and work are reported as good.

Class 2. Includes those counties in which the organization and work are reported as fairly good.

Class 3. Includes those counties in which the organization and work are reported as unsatisfactory.

Class 4. Include those counties in which the methods are loose and irregular, and in which little or no work has been accomplished. I have arranged in tabulated form the condition of the societies in each class, giving, with each society, the number of members; the number of non-members; the increase or decrease of membership during the year; the number of meetings held; with the average attendance; the Health Officers' salary; the number of examinations held for license to practice medicine; the number of certificates granted, and the number refused; and the number of illegal doctors.

In Class I, I have placed the following Societies, seventeen in

34

39

715

9

Net gain of members in class I

Decrease of non-members in class I______

Total number of legally qualified physicians in class I_____
Total number of illegals

Eleven of these societies hold quarterly meetings, viz: Bibb, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Coosa, Fayette. Franklin, St. Clair, Talladega, and Tallapoosa.

The average attendance in these societies is fifty per cent. of their membership.

Five societies hold monthly meetings, viz: Cullman, Etowah. Madison, Shelby and Tuscaloosa, with an average attendance of 56.4 per cent. of their membership.

One society, Jefferson, holds semi-monthly meetings, with an average attendance of 25 per cent, of its members.

In all these societies papers are read and discussed and cases are reported.

The Boards of Censors are reported as doing good work in these societies, holding the examinations in accordance with the plan given in the Book of the Rules.

There were 35 examinations for license to practice; and certificates granted to 31, and refused to 4.

Percentage of certificates refused in all these 17 counties was 11.43. In Jefferson county 25 per cent. were refused certificates.

All these counties have Health Officers, who are reported as having from fair to very good success in collecting vital and mortuary statistics.

There are six counties more in this class than were given last year; Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cullman, Shelby and St. Clair. The improvement reported in these six was sufficient, I think, to justify me in advancing them from the second to the first class. I am glad to report also that all the counties reported in the first class last year are deemed worthy of remaining in this class. The following Societies have been placed in Class II:

Net gain of members in class II

17

Decrease of non-members in class II.

17

Total number of legally qualified physicians in class II________368 Total number of illegals in class II_____

20

Ten of these societies hold quarterly meetings, viz: Blount, Cleburne, Colbert, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion, Pickens, Randolph and Winston, with an average attendance of 53.5 per cent. of their membership.

Six societies of this class hold monthly meetings, viz: DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Marshall, Morgan and Walker, with an average attendance of 50 per cent. of their membership.

The work of the Boards of Censors is reported as fairly well done in most of these societies. There were 32 examinations for license to practice. Certificates were granted to 28, and refused to 4. Percentage of certificates refused 12.5.

There are Health Officers in all these counties; some reported as careless, and others as earnest workers. Their success in collecting vital and mortuary statistics reported, is as follows: Blount, not good; Cleburne, not very good; Colbert, the Health Officer just recently elected, with the hope that he may do well; DeKalb, very good; Jackson, Health Officer just elected, gets up statistics very well; Lamar, splendid; Lauderdale, good; Lawrence, good; Marion, much better than last year, though not what it should be; Marshall, not good; Morgan, fair; Pickens, Health Officer only recently elect ed; Randolph, fair; Walker, fairly good, some better than last year; and Winston, very good.

There are six counties less in this class than were reported in the same class last. Some of these sixteen societies have made considerable progress during the past year. Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Marion, Morgan, Pickens, Randolph, and Winston all show signs of improvement. This is especially noticeable in Jackson and Morgan counties. With continued, earnest effort on the part of the officers of these societies, we hope that they may advance sufficiently to be placed in the first class next year. It will be noted that Jackson was the only society in the third class last year. But, through the earnest efforts of Drs. Boyd, Maples and others, it has earned promotion, and bids fair to be one of the best societies in this division. I had the pleasure of visiting the Morgan County Society in February. It exhibited signs of new life and determination to be what it is capable of being one of the first class. Limestone county has not been doing as active work as formerly; and at one time I feared I would be compelled to drop it to class