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INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS,1913.

ELECTION OF GENERAL COMMITTEE.Dr. F. W. PAVY presided on Feb. 7th over a meeting,

attended by many of the leading members of the medicalprofession, which was held at the Royal Society of Medicine.The meeting was convened for the purpose of electing aGeneral Committee for the International Medical Congressto take place in 1913 in London, and to discharge otherbusiness in connexion with that Congress. Dr. Pavyexplained that the National Committee for Great Britainhad dissolved and had formed itself into the nucleus of aGeneral Committee to take its place, and the first thing themeeting would have to do would be to sanction the enlarge-ment of that General Uommittee.

Mr. D’ARCY POWER then read out a list of more than350 names of men proposed for the committee, and thesewere duly elected after being proposed from the chair. Thenames were a very representative list, certain obvious omis-sions being explained by the fact that the gentlemen in

question, being already members of the old National

Committee, formed the nucleus in question of the GeneralCommittee. BDr. PAVY submitted to the meeting the name of Sir IRichard Douglas Powell, President of the Royal College ofPhysicians of London, for the post of chairman of theGeneral Committee.

This was carried with acclamation, and Sir R. Douglas Powellwas inducted into the chair by Dr. Pavy, after which ahearty vote of thanks was accorded to Dr. Pavy for hisexertions in the past years as chairman of the NationalCommittee, in which vote the services of the honorarysecretaries were included.

Sir R. DOUGLAS POWELL then announced that the nextbusiness was the choice of a President, a treasurer, and asecretary-general for the International Congress in 1913. He

pointed out that the appointment of gentlemen to these postswas a responsible task, and that great discrimination mustbe shown in the election.

Mr. A. PEARCE GOULD suggested that the wisest course forthe General Committee to adopt would be to elect a smallcommittee to inquire into and to study the question, with instructions to report to the General Committee at an earlydate, nominating candidates for the different posts. This

report would be circulated before the next meeting of theGeneral Committee so that the election could then bemade.

Professor W. OSLER seconded the proposal, and pointedout the advisability of putting so important a matter intothe hands of a carefully selected committee.

Mr. BUTLIN supported the proposal.Sir HAVELOCK CHARLES thought that the meeting as

constituted might well proceed to the election of a Presi-dent, but a motion to that effect met with no support.

Sir R. DOUGLAS POWELL, in reply to a question, said thatit was presumed that it would be left to the discretion of thecommittee to nominate one or more candidates for each

post.Mr. Pearce Gould’s proposal was now put as a motion

and carried, and the following are the names of thecommittee appointed :-The President of the Royal Collegeof Physicians of London, the President of the Royal Collegeof Surgeons of England, the Regius Professor of Medicine ofOxford, the Regius Professor of Physic of Cambridge, SirWilliam Church, Sir Thomas Barlow, Sir William Allchin,Dr. Pavy, Dr. Norman Moore, Dr. S. J. Sharkey, Dr. PercyKidd, Sir W. Watson Cheyne, Mr. R. J. Godlee, Mr. C. T.Dent, Mr. G. H. Makins, Mr. Pearce Gould, Sir W. Macewen,Sir Charles Ball, Sir William Whitla, Sir Malcolm Morris,Mr. D’Arcy Power, Mr. Charters J. Symonds, Surgeon-General A. M. Branfoot, Dr. A. Newsholme, PrincipalMedical Officer of the Local Government Board, theDirector-General of the Army Medical Department, theDirector-General of the Medical Department of theAdmiralty, Sir Shirley Murphy, Sir John Tweedy, Dr. G. A.Gibson, and Dr. G. Newman, Principal Medical Officer ofthe Board of Education.The business of the meeting was concluded with a vote

of thanks to the chairman.

BRITISH MEDICAL BENEVOLENT FUND.

AT the January meeting 16 cases were considered by thecommittee, and grants amounting to .6155 made to 15 of theapplicants. Appended is an abstract of the cases relieved :-M.D. Durh., aged 58 years. Is incapacitated by hemiplegia and

dependent on a sister, whose income is very small. Used to be a manof considerable means, but owing to a series of misfortunes over whichhe had no control is now practically penniless. Voted ;CI0 in twoinstalments.

M.B. Cantab., aged 41 years. Used to practise in London, but wasobliged to give up owing to a long illness. Is now sufficiently recoveredto do locum-tenency work, but finds great difficulty in obtainingengagements at this time of year. No income and wife a chronicinvalid. Voted £10, of which half was subscribed by another societyanxious to help the applicant.

L.S.A., aged 70 years. Has been quite incapacitated for the last threeor four years and is dependent on a small allowance from a localmedical benefit societv and slight help from relations. Voted £12.Daughter, aged 53 years, of late M.R.C.S., L.S.A. Only certain

income about L10 a year, and endeavours to support herself by takingboarders, but was unable last year to cover her unavoidable expenses.Voted £10.Widow, aged 33 years, of M.B., M.Ch. Glasg. Only income about £ 20

a year, and asks for a little help towards school fees for her only child,a boy, aged 9, who is a candidate for Epsom College. Is endeavouringto obtain a post as housekeeper or companion. Voted £10.Daughter, aged 32 years, of late M R.C.S. Eng., L.R.C.P. Edin. Used

to support herself as a shorthand typist, but about five years ago de-veloped phthisis, and has since been unable to work. Dependent on hermother, an Epsom pensioner, and a sister who is a clerk. Voted .E10 intwo instalments.

Daughter, aged 38 years, of late M.R.C.S., L.S.A. Is a chronic in-valid, and only able to help her mother, whose income is insufficient forthe support of both. Relieved once, £10. Voted £10 in two in-stalments,Widow, aged 60 years, of M.R.C.S. No income and dependent on

children, who can ill afford to help. Relieved six times, £70. Voted .B12.in 12 instalments.Daughter, aged 72 years, of late M.R.C.S., L.S.A. Income less than.

20 a year ; earns a few shillings occasionally by needlework. Relievedten times, £101. Voted £12 in 12 instalments.Daughter, aged 58 years, of late M.R.C.S., L.S.A. Was a matron at a

large school for several years, and now endeavours to support herself bysewing. Eyesight failing and health indifferent. Relieved three times,£36. Voted £12 in 12 instalments.Widow, aged 52 years, of M.R.C.S., L.S.A. Income very small, but

with the help of this Fund has been enabled to keep a small home andbring up her family. One boy still at school, having won a scholarship.Relieved 14 times, £ 162. Voted £12 in 12 instalments.Widow, aged 65 years, of late L.F.P.S. Glasg. Husband’s savings

exhausted by a long illness ending in death about 18 months ago ; ;.endeavours to support herself by taking boarders. Relieved twice, .E10.Voted 12 in 12 instalments.Widow, aged 36 years, of M.R.C.S. Eng., L.R.C.P. Edin. Asks for help

to send a daughter to Canada as a mother’s help. Relieved once, £10.Voted £5.Widow, aged 58 years, of L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S. Irel. Unprovided for at

husband’s death a few years ago and dependent on friends and the helpof this Fund. Relieved five times, £47. Voted £6 in six instalments.Daughter, aged 55 years, of late M.R.C.S. Since father’s death,

several years ago has supported herself by a small school, but has lostseveral pupils owing to competition and removals. Relieved threetimes, £ 43. Voted £12 in 12 instalments.

Contributions may be sent to the honorary treasurer, Dr.Samuel West, 15, Wimpole-street, London, W.

THE MEDICAL TREATMENT OF LONDON SCHOOLCHILDREN.-The London County Council has extended fora further period of three months the agreement with theVictoria Jubilee Institute of Nurses for the treatment ofschool children suffering from infected ears. The scheme,which was referred to in THE LANCET of Feb. 13th, 1909,was put into force in Hackney, Shoreditch, and BethnalGreen on Oct. 1st, 1909, and the Education Committeestated that a further three months’ trial would be necessarybefore its merits could be definitely decided.A RADIUM SPA IN CORNWALL.-A scheme is on

foot to raise capital for the purpose of establishing a healthresort near St. Ives in Cornwall that shall be replete with theappliances and fittings of a modern balneotherapeuticinstitution. The idea has arisen out of the fact that it hasbeen found that the radio-activity of the large volumes ofwater in the Trenwith mines and in the springs also ranks,according to Sir William Ramsay, K. C. B., F.R.S., "withthe most radio-active known." Negotiations are already inprogress, it is stated, to secure land in the immediate neigh-bourhood of St. Ives for the building of hotels and bathingestablishments. The venture will be watched with interest,not only from a medical point of view, but also in regard toits effect upon the peculiar insular ideas which a largesection of the public holds concerning the uniqueness andsuperiority of health resorts abroad.