Dr. Sarles: In moving the adoption of the report of the Secretary, I would like to add the sincere thanks of this Society for the untiring energy displayed by the Secretary in the work that has been done during the past year and during his term of office.

Motion unanimously carried by a rising vote.

The Treasurer then read his annual report, as follows:

$1,918 41

Making a total cash on hand and receipts for the year........

I call attention to the fact that it is about $300 more than last year.

(I will also state that this is only part of the expenses of the transactions. The whole bill was $738.00 and a balance is still due Tracy,

Gibbs & Co., of about $475.00.)

By paid Henry D. Goodwin, stenographer for the session of 1895... $136 86 Dr. Sheldon, Secretary, account of expense (two items, $50.50

You can see the balance after paying the indebtedness of Tracy, Gibbs & Co., of $475.00, will be very small.

3-S. M.S.

Motion made that the report be accepted and adopted, seconded, unanimously carried.

On motion, the report of the Treasurer was referred to the Finance Committee.

The Secretary: The Committee on Finance have made the following report:

REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE.

MADISON, June 4, 1896.

We, the Committee on Finance, have examined the accounts of the Treasurer and find them correct.

On motion, the report of the Committee was accepted and placed on file.

The Secretary: It is a gratifying item in our experience, that the number of additions to our membership this year. has been the largest in the history of the Society; 67 new members have been added to our ranks at this meeting. We received 42 last year, and 37 the year before at Milwaukee. So it is evident we are increasing rapidly in membership. The attendance at our meeting this year is also the largest we have ever had.

Dr. Garlock: Mr. President, I have but a few words to say in relation to the subject of place of meeting, but I wish to invite the Society to the city of Racine for our next meeting. We have a beautiful city situated on the west bank of Lake Michigan, of about 25,000 inhabitants, with excellent accommodations, as good as can be found in the State, and rates not to exceed from $2.00 to $2.50 a day for entertainOur town is easy of access from both the Chicago & Northwestern, and Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroads, both north and south, and from the west the Wisconsin Central also crosses our county, and passengers on that road can easily arrive there; also by steamboat from the north and

ment.

south.

I will therefore move you that Racine be adopted as

the next place for this Society.

Motion seconded and unanimously carried.

Dr. Seaman: I move that we now go into executive session.

Motion carried.

Dr. Seaman:

I have the following resolution to present:

"WHEREAS, The members of the Wisconsin State Medical Society are governed in their professional conduct by the principles of the code of ethics of the American Medical Association, adopted by this Society;

WHEREAS, The following methods of gaining public attention have been resorted to by members of this Society, and are considered unprofessional and inconsistent with the underlying principles of the code,

First, the display of names upon playbills, posters and advertising directories for public inspection;

Second, the publication in the daily newspapers of cases, operations, scientific experiments or other matters of purely professional character, for the evident purposes of self-aggrandizement, therefore be it

Resolved, That this Society condemns such methods on the part of its members as being in violation of the code to which they have subscribed."

Now I have a few words to say on this subject. The reasons for the presentation of this resolution are simply these: That the public press of Milwaukee for several years back, has been burdened with reports of operations, cases and experiments, and other matters, as the resolution says, of purely professional character, things which ought to appear in the medical journals, if anywhere, and sometimes things which ought not to appear at all. There has recently been an advertising scheme gotten up by several newspapers of Milwaukee, a large placard, at the top of which are the words, "The leading physicians of Milwaukee," or something to that effect, and that has been distributed throughout the city, or is going to be distributed, for I believe the scheme has been going on for some time, and they are just girding up their loins again to make a reissue, it has been distributed throughout the various livery stables, hotels, railway stations and other places of public resort in Milwaukee. It only costs a dollar.

in Milwaukee to become one of the "leading physicians," and a good many members of the Society from Milwaukee would like to know (and this is our only purpose in introducing this resolution), whether such a course is consistent with membership in this Society. As I understand it, the members of this Society are required to subscribe to the articles of association and by-laws, which include that portion of the code of ethics among other things, which relates to advertising; and the code of ethics of the American Medical Association distinctly forbids such advertising by its members. Now, as I say, a great many men in Milwaukee would like to know if it is consistent with the code to advertise in this way, and if it is, we want to get in on the ground floor and become "leading physicians" with the rest, at the cheap rate of $1.00 per capita.

I presume I ought to include a motion for the adoption of this resolution, and therefore I move that it be adopted.

Dr. Garlock: While I am heartily in sympathy with the resolution offered and the motion for adoption, yet I would ask, does not our code cover the whole thing? Does not the part of the code cover the ground which it is designed to cover by this resolution, and will it put us in any better shape for fighting this thing? I am in favor of the principle embodied in this resolution, and if it will do any good, shall be very much in favor of its passage.

Dr. Seaman: The reason for the introduction of the resolution is this: We do not know where we are in this matter, we want to know what is legitimate advertising, but first of all, we want to call the attention of these members (and they are prominent members of the State Medical Society) to the fact that we have a code-they do not know it—we want to call their attention to the fact that that code prohibits advertising, and to the fact that if they persist in advertising they cannot persist in being members of the State Medical Society. If they are to be members of the State

Medical Society and subscribe to the code, then I say they should not advertise. If the State Medical Society says that such advertising is legitimate; that it is legitimate to announce yourself as one of the "leading physicians in Milwaukee" and pay a dollar for it, then we younger men in the profession in Milwaukee want to take advantage of the privilege. We have a dollar to invest and we are going to invest it if the State Medical Society upholds such action. The code distinctly says, that a card in the paper is legitimate adver tising.

Dr. Reynolds: It seems to me that this question is a matter of medical ethics and instead of being adopted here, it should be referred to the Committee on Ethics for further report. It is a serious matter when regular physicians belonging to an honorable society begin a species of quackery; they should be punished and expelled, if it reduces our Society to its original number. I am in hearty accord with the spirit of the resolution, but it seems to me the proper method would be to submit all that matter to our Committee on Ethics and have a fair examination and report at some future time. The matter should be deliberately considered and reported to the Society.

A motion was here made to refer the whole matter to the Committee on Ethics.

Dr. Seaman:

Every time a question of ethics comes up it is referred to the Committee on Ethics, and when so referred the Committee on Ethics smothers the matter; but we want to get this matter before the Society, and we would like to get it before the Society now. If this is referred to the Committee on Ethics-which I will admit is the proper course, as a rule, we will never hear anything more about it. The advertising will go on and these men who do advertise won't know that they are violating the code and are inconsistent with their membership here.

Dr. J. S. Barnes: I doubt whether this is a question that