Protective Association THE ORGANIZED AT WINNIPEG, 1901 Under the Auspices of the Canadian Medical Association HE objects of this Association are to unite the profession of the Dominion for mutual help and protection against unjust, improper or harassing cases of malpractice brought against a member who is not guilty of wrong-doing, and who frequently suffers owing to want of assistance at the right time; and rather than submit to exposure in the courts, and thus gain unenviable notoriety, he is forced to endure black-mailing. The Association affords a ready channel where even those who feel that they are perfectly safe (which no one is) can for a small fee enroll themselves and so assist a professional brother in distress. Experience has abundantly shown how useful the Association has been since its organization. The Association has not lost a single case that it has agreed to defend. The annual fee is only $3.00 at present, payable in January of each year. The Association expects and hopes for the united support of the profession. We have a bright and useful future if the profession will unite and join our ranks. EXECUTIVE. President-R. W. POWELL, M.D., Ottawa. SOLICITOR, F. H. CHRYSLER, K.C., Ottawa, Send fees to the Secretary-Treasurer by Express Order, Money Order, Postal Note or Registered letter. If cheques are sent please add commission. PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVES. ONTARIO-E. E. King, Toronto; I. Olmsted, Hamilton; D. H. Arnott, London: J. C. QUEBEC-H. S. Birkett, Montreal; E. P. Lachapelle, Montreal; J. E. Dube, Montreal: NEW BRUNSWICK-T. D. Walker, St. John; A. B. Atherton, Fredericton; Murray NOVA SCOTIA-John Stewart, Halifax; J. W. T. Patton, Truro; H. Kendall, Sydney. MANITOBA-Harvey Smith, Winnipeg; J. A. MacArthur, Winnipeg; J. Hardy, Morden. BRITISH COLUMBIA-S. J. Tunstall, Vancouver; O. M. Jones, Victoria; Dr. King, Published on the 15th of each month. Address all Communications and make all Cheques, Post Office Orders and Postal Notes payable to the Publisher, GEORGE ELLIOTT, 203 Beverley St., Toronto, Canada VOL. XXX. TORONTO, MAY, 1908. No. 5. COMMENT FROM MONTH TO MONTH. William S. England, M.D.C.M., McGill University, died suddenly at his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on the morning of the 24th of April, the cause of death being cerebral haemorrhage. He was forty years of age. Dr. England matriculated at McGill in 1885 and received his degree with high honors in 1889. After a year, as house-surgeon in the Montreal General Hospital, he located in Winnipeg, where he soon advanced to the front ranks and became one of the leading surgeons of the West. At the time of his death he was Professor of Anatomy in Manitoba Medical College, Chief Surgeon to the Winnipeg General Hospital, as well as being Consulting Surgeon to St. Boniface Hospital of the same city. The late Dr. England was a man of first-class attainment, thorough in his work, and of a quiet, unassuming demeanour. He was a member of the Canadian Medical Association and took a deep and genuine interest in its welfare. We deeply deplore his untimely demise and desire to express our sincere sympathy to his widow, his brother, Dr. Frank R. England, Montreal, as well as to the institutions he was connected with. The Opportunity of Fraternal Societies to Co-operate in the Campaign Against Tuberculosis is not being neglected. The Canadian Fraternal Congress recently met in Toronto, and it was brought out that something has already been done in this direction. Strong resolutions were passed, calling upon governmental authorities to be up and doing, and it was particularly emphasized that the importance of a leader should not be overlooked nor any longer delayed. That is to say, the campaign against disease in all its various forms, which could be prevented, demanded recognition from Governments in the way of Departments of Public Health, for without a head no material or direct progress could be secured. Newspaper Propaganda in the Local Press was suggested by one member of the medical section of the recent meeting of the Fraternal Congress, under the supervision of the Provincial Government, which should set aside funds for the purpose: That practitioners should report cases to local medical health officers, not necessarily for the purpose of placarding houses or for the means of directing people to give tuberculosis cases a wide berth, but for the purpose of educating the immediate family as to what they should do and when they should do it. The suggestion appears to us a good one and would be a strong factor in any plan of campaign. In most homes is to be found the weekly country newspaper, and if a part of the front page of this were bought by the Government, the constancy and regularity of authorized essays or instructions would soon appeal to the readers thereof. The Appointment of a Travelling Medical Secretary on the Part of the National Association for the Prevention of Tuber culosis is a wise move. In many places where branch associations of the parent organization were instituted they have been allowed to die of dry rot. Already all over the country there are live, active organizations, and a great many physicians are interested in them. These fraternal societies have many lodges in the cities, towns and villages of Canada. All of them have doctors connected with them who would no doubt interest himself sufficiently to create a wholesome, intelligent and enthusiastic interest in the campaign to be waged. Without enthusiasm in any work not much will be accomplished. The army of tubercular germs to be fought is a stupendous one, and it will take the entire forces of human kind to compass its defeat. All that a portion of human kind will accomplish will simply stay its ravages. To Educate School Children from the beginning of their school lives seems to be proper and right, in matters of sanitary science. Indeed, we have long ago pointed out that physiology should be abolished in connection where it is taught in ordinary school curricula, and sanitary science substituted. Good results will only accrue in years to come when the children are brought up to the right principles of hygiene. All this emphasizes the importance of leadership. Leadership means governmental departments of health. Were Confederation again to be inaugurated a Minister of Health would be, as he should be, one of the very first of the Ministers to be chosen. A Minister of Health should walk hand in hand with a Minister of Finance. He is of far more importance than a Minister of Justice or any subordinate Minister. If, in a given household, a member is to die, say of tuberculosis, the head of that household would willingly give up all his financial increment for the health of the individual threatened with destruction. If health in a household is of more importance than finances, in the unit of society, the home, is it not of just as much value in the congregation of households, the state? Given good health and finances to all, the importance of a Department of Justice is greatly diminished. Give the people good health and finances, and crime will diminish. Anything New in Appendicitis is Always Interesting.-Now it is discovered that our method of defæcation is the cause. A short time ago the introduction of steel rollers for the milling of flour, and the small particles of steel which got into the flour, and in process of time got into the appendix, with resultant irritation and inflammation, was cited as the cause. This is scouted, however, by the new aspirant to appendicitis fame. We are taken to India and are told how they do it in India-and the new suggestion as to cause may have a measure of truth in it, as it seems to be wellestablished that in India there is very little appendicitis. There are said to be two factors at work in India, namely, the free purgation for everyone with anything and the posture assumed in defæcation. To appreciate the latter, the method of defæcating by the native needs to be described. Here is the description in the words of The Lancet: "The native gathers up the fringes of his cloth into a ball and presses it upon the ilio-hypogastric region. He then squats down, the right foot pressed firmly on the ground. and the right thigh pressing firmly on the right ilio-hypogastric region. The left foot is placed behind, resting on the toes, so that the left thigh forms a large angle with the left abdominal wall. In this attitude the cecum is well compressed, the regurgitation of fæces or gas from the bowel prevented, and a stimulus to downward peristalsis is kept up; thus the cecum is thoroughly emptied and the contents are driven lower. Then the native changes so that the position of the lower limbs is reversed, the left thigh being sharply flexed and the right thigh extended; in this way the lower bowel is emptied." If there is any weight to this theory-and we have heard of it before in connection with hernia, that the sitting rather than the squatting posture favored hernia-then, another field opens itself up for preventive medicine. The sitting urinal will have to be abolished, and one to facilitate squatting, as they do it in India, substituted. The Splendid Programme the Committee on Papers of the Ontario Medical Association, which meets in Hamilton on May 26th, 27th and 28th, reflects a great deal of credit on the energy and ability of the Committee to provide a programme rarely excelled in medical society work in Canada. We printed this programme and other particulars in our March issue. The scientific side promises so well that it will be difficult to equal it in coming years. Then the Entertainment Committee has not allowed themselves to be outshone by the other aggregation. The entertainments of the social side are going to be of a high order. The two combined cannot afford to be missed by anyone. Remember in purchasing a single first-class ticket to Hamilton to ask the ticket agent for a Standard Convention Certificate, and as soon as you get to the meeting and register, your next duty is to hand that certificate to the General Secretary who will do the rest. The Provisional Programme of the Coming Forty-first Annual Meeting of the Canadian Medical Association will be sent out early in May in the General Secretary's annual circular. Keep the dates in mind, 9th, 10th and 11th of June. |