THE STATE MEDICAL COUNCIL ITS DUTIES AND OPPOR

TUNITIES.

The purposes of the State Medical Association are to federate and bring into a compact organization the entire medical profession of the State of Utah, and to unite with similar societies of other states to form the American Medical Association; to extend medical knowledge and advance medical science; to elevate the standard of medical education, and to secure the enactment and enforcement of just medical laws; to promote friendly intercourse among physicians; to guard and foster the material interests of its members and to protect them against imposition; and to enlighten and direct public opinion in regard to the great problems of state medicine, so that the profession shall become more capable

and honorable within itself, and more useful to the public, in the prevention and cure of disease and in prolonging and adding comfort to life."

What provision is made for the accomplishment of these varied objects? The constitution provides that "the Association shall hold an annual session, during which there shall be held daily general meetings, which shall be open to all registered members and guests. It also provides for a house of delegates, who "shall be the legislative body of the Association." Also for a council, who "shall consist of the councilors and the president and secretary ex-officio."

The House of Delegates is declared to be the legislative body of the Association and under the by-laws they "shall meet at 12 m. on the first day of the annual session. It may adjourn from time to time as may be necessary to complete its business, provided that its hours shall conflict as little as possible with the general meetings." The first meeting is appointed for the lunch hour, the proceedings are

therefore necessarily curtailed and whatever business is transacted at this and the subsequent meetings is more or less rushed through in order that its members the delegates-may attend the scientific meetings, clinics, etc. Delegates from the County Societies. usually have friends to visit or lunch with and the one evening in the city is given up to the banquet. It is therefore no fault of the delegates that they have but little time for their legislative work or for the proper discussion and consideration of problems or questions which may have arisen during the preceding twelve months or may arise in the immediate future. They do the best they can and when they return to their homes after two days of arduous work, combined with pleasure, they wash their hands and straightway forget all about the Association

and its purposes or the methods sug

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gested for the betterment of the medical profession and its members. less invited by a letter to prepare a paper for the next annual meeting the members probably hear nothing more of the Association until called upon for their assessment for the current year. True, the members receive a Journal once a month, in which a paper read many months before and in which he may or may not be interested printed-but the journal gives him. no items of news or discussion of problems affecting his state, his friends and himself. The Journal often remains on his table or in some obscure corner unopened. To him and to the majority of the members the Association is practically dead of inanition, and having been decorously buried, is forgotten until resurrected the following September.

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But the constitution and by-laws of the State Medical Associations do not contemplate such an inane existence. They carefully provide for an executive body to act for and on behalf of the Association when not assembled in

general meeting. Sec. 4 of Chapter 4 provides: "It shall through its officers, Council and otherwise, give diligent attention to and foster the scientific work and spirit of the Association," and inasmuch as these by-laws have been compiled by the American Medical Association, they are to all intents and purposes more or less identical in their provisions. Consequently, the State Medical Council, consisting of the Councilors, President and Secretary, ex-officio, form the executive body of all State Associations and it rests with them to "foster the scientific work and spirit of the various State Associations."

How is this accomplished?

The duties of the Medical Council are found detailed in the five sections of chapter seven of the by laws:

"Section 1. The Council shall meet on the first day of the annual session and daily during the session and at such other times as necessity may require, subject to the call of the Chairman or on a petition of two Councilors. It shall meet on the last day of the annual session of the Association to organize and outline work for the ensuing year. It shall elect a Chairman and Clerk, who in the absence of the Secretary of the Association, shall keep a record of its proceedings. It shall, through its Chairman, make an annual report to the House of Delegates."

The varied interests of the profession of this state provides ample work for at least four meetings of the Council in the intervals between the annual sessions of the Association. But, as a matter of fact, the Council has not met except at the time of the holding of the annual sessions. No work has been outlined and no effort made to make the Medical Council an effective force amongst the members of the profession, the members of the Legislature or the citizens at large.

This has been done to a limited extent. If done thoroughly it would provide work for several meetings of the Council.

"Sec. 3. The Council shall be the Board of Censors of the Association. It shall consider, etc.

"Sec. 5. The Council shall provide for and superintend the publication and distribution of all proceedings, transactions and memoirs of the Association, and shall have authority to appoint an editor and such assistants as it deems necessary . It shall annually audit the accounts of the Treasurer and Secretary and other agents of the Association, and present a statement of the same in its annual report to the House of Delegates, which report shall also specify the character and cost of all the publications of the Association during the year with such suggestions as it may deem necessary."

The annual reports of the respective. Councilors have been usually verbal and prefunctory in their nature.

The duties of the Secretary are found in Sec. 4 of Chapter VI, and provide inter alia: "He shall aid the Councilors in the organization and improvement of the County Societies and in the extension of the power and influences of this Association."

As a member of the first Medical Council of this State, I recognized the difficulties and on several occasions should have been glad to confer with the other members of the Council in executive session, but during my four years' experience I do not know of

any meeting of the Council, except during the annual sessions.

The executive body, therefore, simmers itself down to the Secretary, whose duties, it may be observed, are to act as clerk, if present.

The Councilors of the Second District was appointed Chairman at our first meeting and continued to act as such during the first three years. During the fourth year no meeting was held and no chairman was appointed until the evening prior to the annual session of 1910. Having come to the conclusion that some step should be taken to make the Medical Council an effective body instead of being an appendage to the Secretaryship I proposed at the 1910 meeting a resolution instructing the Council to meet at least once every three months. I did so be lieving that it would be for the benefit, not only of the Association, but for the benefit of the profession at large, the majority of whom do not interest them selves in the work of the Association, alleging, oft-times, that it only provides an excuse for an annual outing and having a good time with friends and city specialists hunting work.

At this same meeting-1910-the House of Delegates came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to send the Secretary to Los Angeles to attend the meeting of the secretaries of the various state associations, as he would thereby gain pointers which would be of service to our own Association. I supported the movement, in fact moved the resolution providing for the trip and its expenses. Adopting similar arguments, I proposed that the respective secretaries and treasurers of our own County Societies should meet with the State Secretary once each year, about April, and he was so instructed, but although the State Secretary went to Los Angeles, he did not, as far as I am informed, invite the county secretaries to meet with him as directed by the resolution, neither did

the State Secretary issue any official call for the quarterly meetings of the Medical Council, and no such meetings were held during the year 1910-11.

During this year many important matters affecting the medical profession came up for discussion. Amongst others, the new Medical Practice Act, with its stringent provisions affecting the entire membership of the profession. I cannot but think that those who introduced the bill would have been glad to have received help from the State Medical Council-the highest medical authority in Utah-but the exofficio Secretary was the only member of that body in evidence during the session of the Legislature, and he in no way represented the Council.

At the recent annual meeting, 1911, Dr. H. G. Merrill, Councilor for the Third District, is reported in the of ficial minutes of the House of Delegates as follows:

"In the constitution and by-laws of our Association, the duties of the Board of Councilors are very clearly set forth. Last year there was introduced an amendment by Dr. Clift that the Medical Council be instructed to hold meetings once in every three months, and that they invite the Secretary and the Treasurer of all the County Societies to meet with them about the 1st of April in each year. I move you, Mr. President, that this requirement be repealed. The motion was duly seconded and carried.”

This apparently without discussion or argument. I take exception to the term amendment. An amendment of the by-laws, etc., must have been laid over until the next annual session. Dr. Merrill does not appear to have stated why he objected to meeting with his co-workers once in three months. Once more the Medical Council has become an useless excrescence so far as the betterment of the members of the Association or of the profession in general is concerned. Cui bono?