GEORGE F. WILLARD, Vergennes, St. Louis Med. Col., 1883.

The seventy-third annual meeting of the Vermont State Medical Society, was held at Montpelier, October 14 and 15, 1886.

The Society was called to order at the State House, in the room of the committee on Agriculture, at 10.30 A. M.

Prayer was offered by the Rev. T. P. Frost, of Montpelier. The records of the semi-annual meeting were read and approved.

DELEGATES PRESENT.

DR. T. A. FOSTER, Portland.

Maine Medical Association,

Northern N. Y. Medical Assoc't'n, DR. A. M. PHELPS, Chateaugay. New Hampshire Medical Society,

DR. J. H. CUTLER, Peterboro, and DR. GEORGE COOK, Concord. Massachusetts Medical Society, DR. C. M. HULBERT, So. Dennis.

REPORTS.

Dr. E. F. Upham made a verbal report as delegate to the American Medical Association.

Dr. S. Putnam, on behalf of himself and Dr. J. S. Richmond, delegates to the Maine Medical Association, made the following report of the 34th annual meeting of that Association, held at Portland, on June Ist, 2d and 3d, 1886:

Mr. President and Gentlemen:

We have to report a fine ride through the White Mountains, presenting scenery beautiful and grand beyond anything east of the Rocky Mountain range.

Portland is a beautiful city, nearly surrounded by the ocean, bedecked with numerous small islands in that vicinity. The session opened at the City Building on Tuesday, June, 1st, 10 o'clock A. M. The President, Dr. Sumner Laughton, of Bangor, in the chair. Prayer was offered by the Rev. L. H. Hallock. Several reports, etc., were submitted. The Treasurer, Dr. A. S. Thayer, showed bills to the amount of some five hundred dollars paid during the year, and a balance in the Treasury of $721 49, the annual fee being two dollars.

Reports by visitors to the Medical School of Maine, and to the Portland School for Medical Instruction, showed them in good condition, though not apparently crowded by students, like our U. V. M. Dr. A. Garcelon, of Lewiston, was on the programme for Hernia Cerebri, but did not respond, and instead, a paper by Dr. Wheeler, on Faith Cure, was read by the Secretary. The belief that faith might stimulate cell action was admitted.

Dr. Albee reported a case of separation of the lower epyphisis of the tibia, by the fall of a lad some fourteen feet, leaving the bone denuded, bleeding and dirty. After dressing hemorrhage occurred, and the parts were dusted with subsulphate of iron, which effectually controlled the bleeding, and a good recovery occurred, though for a while the bone looked dry and white, but soon it became of a pink color, moist, and covered with granulations.

Dr. S. C. Gordon read a paper on cat gut ligatures for all cases requiring ligatures, having applied them to the pedicle in over forty cases of ovariotomy, and ligating arteries in all cases, never having had a case of secondary hemorrhage. Especially did he and Professor Weeks, of the Portland school, advise their use in cases of ruptured perinæum and cervix uteri, when these existed in the same patient requiring operation. By the use of this ligature both operations can be performed at the same time, and the patient suffer very little during recovery, pass her urine without the catheter, etc.

Afternoon. Introduction of delegates from Medical Societies. President's address on the development of protoplasm, and the wonderful problem of life.

Dr. Crandall read a paper and cases affirming the diagnosis of turburculosis by the presence of tuburcular baccilli, so called.

Dr. Southwick reported the case of a young girl whom he considered anæmic. After a while she was taken with distress at the stomach, and vomiting from taking improper food; gave ipicac, to be followed by powders of calomel and rhubarb. On next visit found patient vomiting fecal matter, no alvine evacuation having occurred; found a mass at the center of the abdomen not tender or painful. Patient soon sank, and died. The mass on post-mortem examination was found to consist of enlarged mesenterie glands, causing intestinal obstruction by compression without marks of inflammation.

He also stated the case of a boy who ate cherries, and soon went into convulsions, became comatose, difficult breathing occurred, and both lungs were found congested and in a few hours became solidified, it was supposed from injury to the respiratory center, no examination of the brain being allowed. The chest was found as stated, and abdomen showed little morbid appearance.

Dr. Foster, delegate to Texas Medical Society, reported a glorious meeting. Texas physicians being fully up with those of other States, with the social element fully developed.

At the evening session papers were read by Dr. Devoll, of Portland, advocating the employment of women as physicians in hospitals for the insane, and by Dr. Wedgwood on the vomiting of pregnancy.

Your delegates were very pleasantly received, invited out to tea and dinner, and for Wednesday, after the annual oration by F. C. Thayer, M. D., of Waterville, the physicians of Portland gave a banquet. Of this, and of the proceedings, Dr. Richmond writes as follows:

"After you left, the printed programme was carried out. The papers were very good. The oration Wednesday evening was very fine, on "The History and Progress of Medicine;" scholarly, finished, and splendidly delivered. The banquet at the Falmouth Hotel after the oration was elegantly served, and the orchestra firstclass. The big dining hall where we took our meals was cleared, promenade, some dancing, and social intercourse very enjoyable. The doctors did everything

in their power to have a good time. The tables set in the dining room where we first supped. Almost everybody was in full dress, waiters and all. On Wednesday those from abroad were invited out to dinner. I went to Dr. Foster's, and had a good time. The doctors are a high-toned, intellectual, and social set of men. The Secretary, Dr. Charles D. Smith, of Portland, is a live man in the right place. Drs. Gorden, Weeks and Foster, of Portland, and Dr. Garcelon, of Lewiston, are eminent. Had you remained, you would have enjoyed Wednesday."

J. S. RICHMOND,
SUMNER PUTNAM.

REPORT OF DELEGATES TO DARTMOUTH MEDICAL COLLEGE.

Your delegates attended the final examination of the graduating class of Dartmouth Medical College, November 15th and 17th, 1885.

The class was small, numbering only fifteen.

The class as a whole appeared well. They seemed to be familiar not only with text book and lecture matters, but showed good training in the exercise of judgment. A noticeable change for the better is the lengthening of the lecture term to twenty weeks. Examination of the class reveals the fact that the Professors keep up with the times in their respective departments, and do not nurse their own notions to the rejection of the teachings of the highest medical authorities.

J. S. RICHMOND,

O. W. SHERWIN, Delegates.

TREASURER'S REPORT.

Dr. S. Putnam, Treasurer, made his annual report showing:

The chair reported as Committee on nominations, Drs. Holton, Putnam, Upham, Richmond, and Dunsmore.

The following "Reports of cases" were read by the Secretary: "Case of Strangulated Hernia reduced with an Esmarch's Bandage," by Dr. C. H. Perry, of Oneida, N. Y., and a case of "Failure of Respiration after Anæsthesia by Ether," by Dr. F. C. Ainsworth, U. S. Army. Both cases were discussed by the society. Adjourned until I o'clock P. M.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

Society called to order at 2 P. M.

The following papers were presented :

"Alcoholic Ataxia"

- DR. J. M. CLARK, Burlington.

Dr. C. S. Caverly, of Rutland, made the following report as delegate to U. V. M.

Mr. President and Gentlemen of Vermont State Medical Society:

As one of your delegates to attend the examinations for the degree of Doctor of Medicine at the University of Vermont, I have the following to report:

I regret that Dr. Greene, your other delegate, was not present, and that I was able to be present but one day, July 15. The presence of Dr. Gibson, of Burlington, added much to my pleasure and the thoroughness with which I was able to examine the few for whom I had time.

The examinations in Surgery and Anatomy were concluded before I reached Burlington, although the Professors of Anatomy offered to recall any of the class, I thought it unnecessary, I heard perhaps six students examined in PhysiologyAll except one of these showed a good knowledge of the subject and some famil. iarity with the histological appearance of tisues under the microscope. These students showed very thorough drill. There were three examined before me in Chemistry. None of them knew much about the subject, but from my previous acquaintnance with the Professor in this department I feel warranted in saying that they were exceptional cases. All the candidates had previously been examined on the practical analysis of urine.

I heard three examined in Obstetrics. They all showed a clear and exact comprehension of the subjects upon which they were examined. They were the best posted of any to whom I listened.

In Practice I heard eight or ten examined, and with possibly one or two exceptions they showed a very vague idea of the subject. Of Pathology they knew very little. Perhaps the standing of the whole class in this important department should not be judged by the examinations which I heard. In Materia Medica there were four or five examined by me, and these students were all well posted and showed good drill.

It will occur to you that your delegate could not form a just estimate of the class as a whole by hearing so few examined in each of these five departments. There were 66 examined in all the branches, and of these 52 passed.

It seemed to your delegate that the examinations could be much more thoroughly and fairly conducted if they were in part at least written, and the examination of the papers subject to competent outside judges.

Incompetent persons are, of course, graduated from most of our medical schools, but some have taken steps in the direction of raising the standard of scholarship, and placing more stringent guards over the entrance to our profession. The University of Vermont is old enough, has students enough, and sufficient prestige to take steps in the same direction. The bettering of the condition of our profession, and elevating the standard of scholarship in our medical college are what we all desire. One is the end, the other the means.

It is the old story-too poorly educated men are admitted to our ranks, and this over-production and poor quality must continue until this check is put upon it. If you will permit me in this connection, I would like to make a suggestion in regard to the relation of this society to the medical department of the University of Vermont. The members of the profession in this State should have a united interest in some medical college, and this naturaily centers in the only medical col