Lady Mary's son had been inoculated in Turkey, but it was not tiil after she returned to England that her little daughter underwent the operation. Four leading physicians were deputed by the government to watch the treatment, but they betrayed so much scepticism about its success that the mother never dared leave her child alone with any one of them. The Princess of Wales, who had her own children inoculated (after it had been successfully tried on six condemned criminals) proved a powerful ally; and as the practice gradually gained ground, Lady Mary's numerous friends and acquaintances came one after the other to beg for her advice and guidance while the operation was in progress. Thus in a letter to Lady Mar, written in 1723,

she says:

"Lady Byng (the wife of Admiral Byng) has inoculated both her chil dren; the operation is not over, but I believe they will do very well. Since that experiment has not yet had any ill effect, the whole town are doing the same thing, and I am so much pulled about, and solicited to visit people,

that I am forced to run into the country to hide myself."

Horace Walpole, we learn from himself, was inoculated in 1724; therefore he owed something to the woman for whom he never had a good word. In another letter of the same year Lady Mary announces the death of a little nephew (son of Lady Gower) from smallpox, and adds:

"I think she has a great deal of reason to regret it, in consideration of the offer I made her two years together, of taking the child to my house, where I would have inoculated him with the same care and safety I did my own. I know nobody that has hitherto repented the operation; though it has been very troublesome to some fools, who had rather be sick by the doctor's prescription, than in health in rebellion to the college!"

By the year 1724 the efficacy of the practice seems to have been pretty well established. In July of that year The Plaindealer, a paper at one time edited by Sir Richard Steele, gave a

most laudatory notice of the new treatment, and of the lady who had introduced it to her countrymen.

F. C. NEFF, M. D.

BANKING TOO MUCH ON ABILITY, HEALTH, LONG LIFE, ETC.

The fact is that most young men take too great chances upon their lives, their health, and their ability to earn or to make money.

worked

Some of the brightest and best young men I have ever known, shrewd, clean-cut, college-educated, like heroes for a quarter of a century without getting anywhere. Some of them have become involved in debt by conditions over which they have no control; others have had serious illness in their families; accidents, emergencies of all sorts have arisen which have modified their whole life plans, and they are today financially no better off than when they left college.

enough, or able enough, or far sighted No one is bright enough, or shrewd enough to provide against all possible

adverse conditions. Conditions of

prosperity in business are so precarious and dependent upon so many fortuitous circumstances that it is never safe to leave a family entirely dependent upon them. It is wise, therefore, to have something that is practically certain, so that, come what may, at least the family's well being will not suffer.

There ought to be some foundation stone that commercial floods, panics, and disasters cannot wash away.

The shrewd, far-sighted business. reverses, and usually puts away in government bonds, in life insurance, or in some other reliable investment money enough to take care of those dependent upon him, or to enable him to start again in case of financial disaster.

Judiciously placed sutures are far more satisfactory in arresting the hemorrhage from a scalp wound than is an attempt at multiple ligation.-American Journal of Surgery.

MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE SOUTHWEST.

When Dr. J. N. McCormick, organizer of the American Medical association, made his report to the House of Delegates at the annual meeting in 1905, he recommended that the United States be divided into seven or eight districts each to comprise several states and that district associations be formed in each which should be known as branches of the American Medical association.

This recommendation was considered by the House of Delegates at that time but was not formally adopted until the next annual meeting.

With the idea of carrying out this plan and because of the close rela

tions maintained socially, financially, and professionally and because they have practically always been known as the Southwest states, plans were begun by Dr. Jabez N. Jackson and Dr. John Punton of Kansas City to take steps to unite the states of Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas and what was then Indian Territory, and Oklahoma Territory into a branch or district association.

In order that the proposition might be properly brought before the profession of these states, the presidents of these various states were invited to be present at the annual banquet of the Kansas City Academy of Medicine, at which time Dr. Jabez N. Jackson, in responding to a toast, approached the

This committee met in Kansas City July 16, 1906, with the following members present: Dr. J. E. Gilcreest of Gainesville, Tex.; Dr. Jabez N. Jackson of Kansas iCty, Mo.; Dr. F. J. Lutz of St. Louis, Mo.; Dr. Chas. W. Fassett of St. Joseph, Mo.; Dr. C. E. Bowers of Wichita, Kas.; Dr. Geo. M. Gray of Kansas City, Kas.; Dr. M. F. Jarrett of Fort Scott, Kas.; Dr. H. I.. Alkire of Topeka, Kas.; Dr. T. E. Holland of Hot Springs, Ark.; Dr. J. A. Lightfoot of Texarkana, Ark.; Dr. J. B. Bolton of Eureka Springs, Ark.; Dr.

they more properly belonged. Realizing that the authority for any such movement must of necessity originate in the state association, the matter was brought before the association of each of the five states at their annual meeting held in 1906, by their respective presidents as well as delegates appointed for that purpose, and each by a resolution endorsed the plan and appointed a committee of five from their respective associations giving them authority to proceed with the forming of such an association.

BACON SAUNDERS, M.D. Ft. Worth, Texas.

Chairman Surgical Section.

B. F. Fostur of Oimter, Indian Territory; Dr. A. L. Blesh of Guthrie, Ok., and Dr. F. H. Clark of El Reno, Ok.

The need of such an organization as the one contemplated was very thoroughly discussed and without exception those present felt it was needed to complete the plan of organization. From the start it was made very plain that this association must work in harmony with the regular existing organization and with no spirit of antagonism toward any. None could be accepted as members but those who were

solutely limited to scientific and not to be legislative and that it was intended solely to develop men and prepare them for the work of the larger parent association.

The discussion brought out the fact that there are upwards of 20,000 practicing physicians in the states included in the organization and that less than one-half of them are members of the state associations.

The secretary was instructed to mail a copy of this declaration to every member of the state association of the

F. H. CLARK, M.D. El Reno, Okla. Secretary-Treasurer.

a president, four vice-presidents, secretary-treasurer, and an executive committee of fifteen, three to be elected from each of the five states and to serve three years.

The officers elected at Oklahoma City were: President, Dr. C. M. Rosser of Dallas, Tex.; Vice-Presidents. Drs. J. P. Rimgan, Little Rock, Ark.; W. F. Sawhill, Concordia, Kas.; John Punton, Kansas City, Mo., and E. O. Barker of Guthrie, Okla.; SecretaryTreasurer, F. H. Clark of El Reno, Okla.