conditions when possible, should not be deferred until after the incision has been made or left to the pathologist. Nor should any patient's life be subjected to avoidable risks in faulty operative technique. Infections are now recognized to play such an important role in the failures of surgical operations that every possible source of such danger should be avoided. It has been well said that genius is the faculty of taking infinite pains, and modern surgery, as the address indicated, frequently fails not so much in the major factors, as in the small and often apparently unimportant details. No place presents such opportunities for the study of the significance of infections and of the necessity for infinite care in their prevention as does the pathological and bacteriological laboratory. Surgery of to-day is not so much a question of mechanism as it is of technique with its constant watchfulness and care dependent upon thorough scientific research.

State Medicine

Edited by Harry Seymour Pearse, M. D.

Important Bills in the New York Legislature.*--Senate Bill No. 348. An Act "To Amend the Code of Civil Procedure, Relating to the Limitation of Actions for Malpractice.

This act amends the section relating to recovery of damages for libel, etc., by adding malpractice.

Senate Bill No. 362. An Act "Relating to the Establishment

of Hospitals for Pulmonary Tuberculosis."

This is a section of the general city law, and changes the law by inserting "cities of the first class" instead of "a municipal corporation" having the right to establish such hospitals without the corporate limits.

Senate Bill No. 376. An Act "For the Protection of the Public Health, and to Prevent the Use of Certain Poisons in Snuff, Tobacco and Proprietary or Patent Medicines."

*By courtesy of the Committee on Legislation of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

This act prohibits the selling of any medicine, tonic, snuff, tobacco, or hay fever remedy containing cocaine, and fixes a penalty.

Senate Bill No. 388. An Act "To Revise the Charter of the City of Buffalo, with Relation to the Protection of the Public Health."

This act provides that when rabies is present in the city or vicinity, the commissioner of health shall prescribe conditions under which dogs may be kept within the city, and provides for the destruction of dogs suffering from rabies, with penalties for violation.

Senate Bill No. 390.

An Act "To Authorize the City of New York to Accept and Receive the Property of the Brooklyn Homœopathic Hospital of the City of Brooklyn."

This act provides that the city should accept at its discretion this Hospital and pay all the debts and liabilities of said Hospital, including the mortgage upon its real property, and such hospital and its schools may be maintained in the discretion of the city authorities as a homoeopathic institution under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Public Charities.

Senate Bill No. 434. An Act "To Amend the State Charities Law, and to Incorporate therein other Statutes Relating to Charities."

This act relates to the licensing, rules and regulations of dispensaries, and the control of the placing out of destitute children and general provisions relating to charitable institutions.

Senate Bill No. 509. This act relates to visitation, inspection

and supervision of institutions by the State Board of Charities, and includes all institutions of charitable or reformatory character, whether or not in receipt of public moneys.

Senate Bill No. 511. An Act "Relating to Corporations for the Prevention of Cruelty."

Every corporation existing or which shall hereafter be formed for the purpose of preventing cruelty to children shall

be subject to the general supervision of the State Board of Charities in the same manner as charitable institutions.

Assembly Bill No. 129. An Act "To Amend an Act Entitled 'An Act to Revise the Laws Relating to Public Instruction Relative to Teaching Physiology, Hygiene and Narcotics.""

This measure repeals the act relating to teaching of physiology, hygiene and narcotics in the public schools.

Assembly Bill No. 157. An Act "To Amend the Public Health Law in Relation to Pharmacy."

This act specifies the method of election of the State Board of Pharmacy, their duties, and those who are entitled to license.

Assembly Bill No. 423.

An Act "Relating to the Board of Pharmacy and Registration of Pharmacists in Greater New York."

This act makes it unlawful for any person except a registered pharmacist to dispense physicians' prescriptions or to sell poisons.

Assembly Bill No. 429. An Act "To Establish a State

Hospital in the Adirondacks or in some other Suitable Locality for the Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis." The sum of two hundred thousand dollars is appropriated for the purposes of this act.

Assembly Bill No. 629.

An Act "To amend the Charter of Greater New York with Reference to the Sale of Lymph and Antitoxin."

This act provides that when the amount of lymph or antitoxin shall exceed the amount required, the Board of Health may sell such excess at public auction.

Assembly Bill No. 904. An Act "To Establish the New York State Hospital for the Care of Crippled and Deformed Children."

This act provides for the establishment of a hospital for the care of crippled and deformed children within the City of New York, and appropriates fifteen thousand dollars for the first year.

Medical News

Edited by H. Judson Lipes, M. D.

THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.-Meeting held February 14, 1900, in Alumni Hall.

The following members were present: Drs. Blumer, Capron, Carroll, Classen, George, W. H., Happel, Jenkins, Lochner, Macdonald, MacFarlane, McCullough, Moore, C. H., Munson, Neuman, Richardson, Sautter, Stillman, Van Allen, Vander Veer, Ward, Wiltsie.

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

It was moved by Dr. MacFarlane, and seconded by Dr. Stillman that as the minutes had been printed they should be adopted as printed. Carried. 2. No minutes of special meetings.

Under this head a letter from the Hon. Chauncy M. Depew, and one from the Hon. Martin Glynn were read. The letters related to the resolutions made by Dr. Vander Veer at the last meeting, and were as follows:

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON, D. C., January 22, 1900.

Dr. GEORGE BLUMER, Albany, N. Y. MY DEAR SIR.-I have your letter of the 19th inst., citing two resolutions passed at a meeting of the Medical Society of the County of Albany on January 17th, 1900. One of these resolutions opposes the bill introduced by Senator Gallinger entitled, "A Bill for the Further Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the District of Columbia," and the other indorses the bill introduced at the suggestion of Surgeon-General Sternberg having for its object an increase in the number of medical officers in the United States Army.

In reply allow me to say that I will be pleased to accede to your request in behalf of these matters, and in compliance with the wishes of the members of the Medical Society of the County of Albany I will be pleased to oppose the bill of Senator Gallinger when it reaches the House of Representatives, and will be glad to vote for the bill seeking to increase the number of regular medical officers of the United States Army.

Hoping that I will be able to carry out the wishes of the members of the Medical Society of the County of Albany in all matters as I am in this, I remain, with respect, Sincerely yours,

GEO. BLUMER, Esq.,

MARTIN H. GLYNN.

UNITED STATES SENATE, WASHINGTON, D. C., January 24, 1900.

Secretary, Medical Society of the County of Albany,

DEAR SIR:-I am in receipt of your letter and will give the matter my

earnest attention.

Albany, N. Y.

Yours very truly,

CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW.

In connection with the letters Dr. MACDONALD remarked that he had received a letter from the Surgeon-General stating that as yet no separate bill relating to the increase in the Medical Corps of the Army had been introduced. The matter had been turned over to the Secretary of War and would be incorporated as part of the bill for the reorganization of the army.

Dr. VANDER VEER then called the attention of the Society to a bill recently introduced into both houses at Washington and referring to the employment of trained women nurses in the army.

The bill read as follows:

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.

That from and after the passage of this Act, women nurses in the proportion of not more than ten per cent of the number of sick and wounded in General and Post Hospitals of fifty (50) beds and upwards, shall be employed by, and constitute the Women's Nursing Service of, The Medical Department of the Army.

Sec. 2. That there shall be a Superintendent of Women Nurses in the Army, who shall be a woman graduated from a general hospital training school for nurses, having a course of instruction lasting not less than two years, and who shall be appointed by the Secretary of War.

That the salary of the Superintendent of Nurses shall be two thousand ($2,000) dollars per annum.

Sec. 3. That the Nurses in the service shall be graduates of general hos pital training schools having courses of instruction lasting not less than two years; that they shall be appointed by the Surgeon-General of the Army under such regulations as may be approved by the Secretary of War; that they shall receive forty dollars per month when on duty within the limits of the United States, and fifty dollars per month when on duty outside of the limits of the United States. That a Chief Nurse may be appointed for every hospital where there are five or more nurses on duty; that the salary of a Chief Nurse shall be seventy-five dollars per month within the limits of the United States, and eighty-five dollars per month outside of the United States.

That, in addition to the salaries above mentioned, the Superintendent of Nurses, and each Nurse in the Woman's Nursing Service, shall be entitled to transportation and necessary expenses when traveling under proper orders; and provided, further, that Nurses and Chief Nurses shall be entitled to quarters, subsistence, laundry for uniforms, medical attendance, nursing and medicines during illness, and that they may be granted such leaves of absence without loss of pay as the Secretary of War may authorize.

Sec. 4. That the number of Nurses necessary for the immediate establishment of the Women's Nursing Service may, upon the passage of this Act, be appointed by the Surgeon-General.

Sec. 5. Provided that nothing in this bill shall be construed to prevent or to limit the power of the Secretary of War in time of war or of national disaster to avail himself of duly qualified Red Cross Nurses (termed "sisters") or of nurses of other worthy societies or associations.