"Of this result, under the adverse conditions present, we may justly be proud, due, as it is, to the advancement of medical knowledge, to the zeal and ability of the medical officers, to the professional devotion which led the surgeon, volunteer and regular to place duty above all other considerations; even, if need were, to the sacrifice of his own life."

Prof. Vander Veer, who with Dr. Ward, represented the faculty, was brief. He expressed his pleasure at meeting the boys he taught now on the high road to success in their professional work. When he last saw them three years ago, he said, he told them that there were three great projects afoot in Albany. One of these was the building of a new hospital for the college. At that time there was not even the first dollar in hand for the hospital. Nevertheless, it had been built and fully equipped, and now the Albany Medical College, in this respect, was not behind any other medical institution in the country. What was now wanted was a college building, for which there was a very pleasant site on the grounds. Prof. Vander Veer gave some figures to show the growth of the institution. Less than twenty-five years ago it had only forty students; two years ago it reached high tide with 230. The faculty, he said, wished him to convey to the diners its best wishes, and to say that the association gave it great encouragement.

Major Mott, who has seen service in Cuba and the Philippines, spoke of the latter. "Manila," said Major Mott, "was a beautiful city. In some respects it was well advanced. There were many people of education among the Tagals; what they needed was education in the plain, everyday conceptions of honesty. It was not more possible for them to conceive why an American does a thing because it is right, than the American can conceive why a Hindoo woman buries herself in her husband's grave."

Dr. Fox, after a preface of anecdotes, paid a high tribute of admiration to the Albany Medical College, which, he said, stood in the foremost rank of medical colleges, and was everywhere held in high respect by physicians and medical teachers.

The good humor of the evening was materially augmented by the remarks of Dr. Ward. He also gave an account of what had been done at the college within the last few years, and described at considerable length the new hospital. For this building, he said, the college was chiefly indebted to Dr. Vander Veer, for it was he who had raised nine-tenths of the money and done nine-tenths of the work.

Dr. Chapin, the next speaker, reviewed the accomplishments in medicine of the century just closing. He mentioned the various discoveries of remedies, and spoke of the new methods pursued in the treatment of disease. With respect to his own specialty, he said:

"One hundred and three years ago the first provision for the treatment of the insane of New York was made in the New York Hospital, and fortysix years elapsed before the State Hospital at Utica was opened. In 1844 the first national medical association was organized, composed of thirteen medical superintendents of hospitals for the insane. From that date the general recognition and study of insanity as a disease to be treated by physicians may be said to have systematically commenced in this country.

In this connection should also be noted the remarkable contributions made in later years to the previous limited knowledge of the physical disorders of the nervous system by the neurologists. During the century a department of medicine has been created that was not recognized at the beginning of it, and hospitals for the insane and other diseases are in existence in all civilized countries of the world."

The officers of the association are as follows: President, Major James P. Kimball, M. D.; Vice-President, Dr. Robert F. Macfarlane; Secretary, Dr. Warren C. Spalding; Assistant Secretary, Dr. Bernard Livingston; Treasurer, Dr. Edward F. Quinlan; Governors, Drs. M. L. Rhein, A. Parker Muir, Frederick W. Loughran, William F. Holcomb and James H. Mitchell.

The Committee of Arrangements were Drs. Horace Tracy Hanks, Benjamin F. Vosburgh, Allen Fitch, M. L. Rhein, John A. Cutter, Henry F. C. Muller, Theodore Y. Kinne, C. DeW. Van Dyck, Josiah Hasbrouck, Thomas H. Willard and Edward P. Lasher.

Among those present were Drs. William H. Thompson, '59; Christian Kiersted, '46; Major T. E. Wilcox, '64; Thomas D. Crothers, '65; Edwin Barnet, '65; Edward F. Quinlan, '68; John H. Cotter, '78; C. DeW. Van Dyck, '79; M. L. Rhein, '80; Warren C. Spalding, '81; John A. Cutter, B. S., '86; George H. Baker, '86; Thomas H. Willard, '87; Robert F. Macfarlane, '88; George M. Fisher, '89; F. S. Snow, '89; John Henry Cotter, '94; P. J. Fagen, '96; B. Livingston, '99; Fred Loughran, '90; J. L. Witbeck, '90; Judge J. G. Wells, George W. Olivit and Dr. Aug. Knight.

THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.-Meeting held January 17, 1900, in Alumni Hall.

The following members were present: Drs. Ackert, Bailey, Blumer, Cook, Craig, Culver, Davie, Hale, L., Hale, W. S., Happel, Lipes, MacFarlane, Moore, C. H., Munson, Stillman, Theisen, Van Allen, Vander Veer, Van Rensselaer, Ward, Winne.

The meeting was called to order at 9 P. M., Dr. Van Allen in the chair. 1. Reading of the minutes of the last regular meeting.

It was moved by Dr. MacFarlane and seconded by Dr. Theisen, that as the minutes had been already printed they should be adopted as printed. Carried.

2. No minutes of special meetings.

3. No reports of committees.

4. No applications for membership were received.

5. No motions or resolutions were presented.

Under this head Dr. VANDER VEER presented a letter from the Surgeon General in which he requested the support of the Society for a bill to be introduced into the Legislature increasing the number of medical officers in the regular army. The Surgeon General pointed out that such an increase was imperative, both on account of the numerical increase in the army, and on account of the increased work thrown on the corps from the addition of our new possessions.

Dr. VANDER VEER also read a letter from Dr. Hoff, of the Department of Porto Rico referring to the same bill, and asking the support of the Society to aid in carrying it.

Dr. VANDER VEER then made the following motion: Moved that it is the sense of this Society that this bill should be endorsed, and that the Secretary be instructed to inform the U. S. Senators from this State, and the Congressman from this district of the Society's endorsement. Seconded by Dr. WARD, and carried unanimously.

Dr. VANDER VEER then stated that he had been in communication with Mr. J. Russell Parsons, Jr., concerning the exhibition of the so-called Damon Vitapathic establishment. He stated that it had been determined that this establishment was operated by Damon, with the help of a Dr. Olmstead. The former examined patients whilst the latter prescribed. Dr. Olmstead was found to be a graduate of the medical department of New York University and a legally registered practitioner, consequently nothing could be done to reach these vitapaths.

Dr. VANDER VEER inquired of the President if the Board of Censors had looked into the matter?

Dr. VAN ALLEN replied that they had not done so, but that he, himself, had inquired into it and had reached the same conclusion as Dr. Vander Veer had.

Dr. VANDER VEER also read a communication from the Surgeon General relating to the re-introduction of Senator Gallinger's bill "For the Further Prevention of Cruelty to animals in the District of Columbia." He read a letter from Dr. W. W. Keen, President of the American Medical Association, on the same subject. Both writers spoke of the pernicious character of the bill, which was an entering wedge for bills in other parts of the country, which would greatly interfere with experimental medicine.

Dr. VANDER VEER then introduced the following resolution: Moved that it is the sense of this Society that this bill is a pernicious measure, and that the Secretary be instructed to request our State Senators and our Representative in Congress to oppose it.

The motion was seconded by Dr. Ward and carried unanimously. 7. Reading of papers.

Dr. W. O. STILLMAN read a paper entitled "The History of Gonorrhoea." The President suggested that as both papers of the evening were on the same subject discussion should be reserved until the second paper had been read.

Dr. A. W. ELTING then read a paper entitled "The Bacteriology of Gonorrhoeal Infections."

The President then declared both papers open to discussion.

Dr. WARD remarked that the papers were both so complete and interesting that there was little left to discuss and no place for contradiction. He stated that it was not so long ago since the separation of the three main forms of veneral disease was established. He could remember Bumstead teaching the difference between gonorrhoea, syphilis and chancroid in the old Twenty-Third Street School, and could remember his controversies with some of the older men who still held to the English views of that day.

He thought that proof of the occurrence of the different diseases was now positive. He wished to move a vote of thanks to Drs. Stillman and Elting for their papers.

Dr. VANDER VEER seconded Dr. Ward's motion and congratulated Dr. Stillman on his paper, as being both very complete and much to the point. He stated that in 1876 he had had to get up a paper on syphilis and was surprised to find how many writers even at that time believed in the unity of syphilis, gonorrhoea and chancroid. The distinction was found in those days in but few books. He was much interested in the second paper on account of the accuracy with which the dates of the various phases in the subject had been given. He referred to the work of Bernard and Goupil, published in the Sydenham Society's Transactions, and stated that they clearly recognized the relation between gonorrhoea and pus tubes and referred to the frequency of the latter in prostitutes. He referred to the urethral localization of gonorrhoea in the female and the freedom of the vagina from signs of infection. He suggested that the lactic acid in the vaginal secretion and the impenetrable character of the vaginal mucosa might account for this. He stated his belief that when uterine infection once occurred in a woman the disease could never be cured. He also spoke of the seriousness of the disease in the male and cited the case of a professional man who, as the result of gonorrhea, followed by prostatitis and vesiculitis, had become almost impotent. He suggested that the reason why more prostitutes did not become pregnant was because of gonorrheal disease of the tubes and not on account of any special precautions taken to prevent conception.

Dr. WARD referred to Nögerrath's statement "Once infected, always infected," and said that, considering the number of cases in which young men, who had had gonorrhoea, subsequently married and had healthy wives and children, he did not think the statement would hold water. He also referred to Bumstead's advocacy of nitrate of silver as an injection when everything else failed, and said that the action of this drug, then little understood, was now explained by its effect on gonococci.

Dr. THEISEN stated that he had been much interested in both papers, but particularly in Dr. Elting's reference to gonorrheal rhinitis. He referred to a case recently reported by a German observer of gonorrhoeal rhinitis in a child. The child had also ophthalmia neonatorum. The mother had been infected by the father, who had both gonorrhoea and syphilis. Dr. Theisen also referred to Finger's attempt to inoculate the disease into animals. These were carried on whilst he was in Vienna but none of them successful.

Dr. STILLMAN congratulated Dr. Elting on the logical presentation of his paper and referred to some cases he had recently seen. One a young woman originally infected three years ago who had no symptoms until a few days ago when she consulted him with pain and tenderness of the vagina and uterus. These organs were inflamed and gonococci were found in cover slips from them. Dr. Stillman thought he could exclude a second exposure of the disease, and that this case was an example of a return after a long period of quiescence. He also cited a second case in a

young woman who had had gonorrhoea five or six years ago and now had cystitis and urethritis. He had not examined cover slips but thought that this was also undoubtedly gonorrhoeal. He thought that these cases showed that if a woman was infected once she was always infected.

Dr. MACFARLANE referred to an experience he had had at St. Peter's Hospital. A child was brought into his service with a vaginal discharge, said to have been due to attempted rape. The man accused of the crime subsequently admitted the attempt and evidence was found to show that he was suffering from gonorrhoea. The vaginal discharge in the child contained intra-cellular cocci which were at first thought to be pseudo-gonococci, but which were subsequently found to decolorize by Gram. Dr. MacFarlane wishek to ask Dr. Elting whether pseudo-gonococci were more frequent in young children, and whether decolorization by Gram was proof positive that the organisms were gonococci?

Dr. ELTING replied that the Gram method was absolutely positive and that he knew of no literature showing that pseudo-gonococci were unusually abundant in young children.

Dr. STILLMAN inquired if pseudo-gonococci were ever as numerous as gonococci usually were in the discharge?

Dr. ELTING replied that they were, as at some stages of the disease very few gonococci were present.

Dr. CRAIG wished to ask how much the gonococci must lose in virulence before other organisms could gain a foothold and also if the clinical course of the disease was changed by mixed infection? He also asked regarding the transmission of gonococci by the lymph vessels and said that he had been under the impression that in gonorrhoea bubo the cocci were carried in that way.

Dr. ELTING replied that the gonococci had been isolated from buboes in so few cases that it seemed unlikely that they were often carried by the lymphatics, although they were found in the lymphatics in the sub-epithelial tissue of the urethra. He thought that it was agreed that they were generally carried by the blood vessels. The gonococci were generally found alone in the early stages of the disease, secondary infection generally occurred in the later stages.

Dr. WARD asked in how many cases only the gonococci were found? Dr. ELTING replied that only gonococci were found in nearly all cases in the acute stages.

Dr. VANDER VEER referred to the tendency to peri-urethral abscess and other complications in gonorrhoea in individuals with a tuberculous tendency. He asked Dr. Elting as to the composition of the discharge at the height of the disease.

Dr. ELTING replied that the discharge consisted mainly of polynuclear leucocytes and gonococci. The latter were mostly intra-cellular. A few epithelial cells were present. The gonococci tended to remain superficial but sometimes attacked the deeper tissues.

Dr. CRAIG then presented a specimen of intestine removed in the dissecting room. The specimen showed the cæcum and a part of the ileum and was presented as it showed an apendix originating above the level of the