It The building of the army and navy general hospital soon followed. comprises a most beautiful group of buildings on the southwest corner of the Hot Springs Mountain and is admitted to be one of the finest in the world of its kind, and most complete in every appointment. Perhaps the most beautiful sight to the eye is the government work on the front of the reservation at the foot of Hot Springs Mountain, being the east side of Central avenue, the principal thoroughfare of the city. ACTION OF THE WATERS. On account of their natural heat, their absolute purity, and consequent unparalleled solvent and eliminative action, together with the presence of a combination of hydrogen and silicon, and of free carbonic acid gas in large quantities, the former acting as a powerful tonic and stimulant, and the latter rendering them so palatable and exhilarating that they can be drunk ad libitum, at a temperature at which all known waters, either naturally or artificially heated, would be nauseating, all soluble medicines can be administered and tolerated while using these hot waters in much larger doses than elsewhere; hence they are more active and produce beneficial results in less time and with greater permanency. RETROSPECTIVE. Hot Springs has had the honor upon one previous occasion of entertaining this association, and the meeting of 1894 has often been referred to as the greatest gathering, and the most successful, scientifically and socially, of any meeting in the history of the society. The meeting was presided over by Dr. Xenophen C. Scott, of Cleveland, one of the old-time wheel horses of the association. (I regret to learn that Dr. Scott's health is very poor of late). Dr. Tom Holland was chairman of the Arrangement Committe. Many of our members will remember this great meeting, and the excellent papers read, although almost twelve years have passed -think of it! This was before Dr. Moyer was married, or had even thought of such a thing-and when Dr. Lydston was a bridegroom; before Dr. Gant got married, hied himself to New York and became a proud father, and while Dr. I. N. Love was in his prime! And what a lively session of the "Chut-Mucks" was held during this meeting, with the illimitable Love as presiding officer. One of my fellow editors, whose memory for such events is better than mine, tells the following story of the event: The "Chut-Mucks" were on hand as usual and initiated a number of candidates into the mysteries of this order of jolly good fellows, Dr. Love on the chair. They held meetings "four or five times," and remained awake all night in order to see the sun rise. Prominent "chut-mucks" are "the only lore" who suffered from "whiskers on the larynx;" Zenophon C. (better known as Great) Scott, the "eye-oculist of Cleveland "with his golden hair hanging down in front," William Warren Potter, the Buffalo Bill of the profession; Owen of Evansville, he of the "rubicund countenance," Wm. H. Daly, "with his eye knocked out," Harry Townsend, that prince of railway general passenger agents; Charley Ware, said to be "the most disturbing element that ever came into Arkansas," Lyman T. Hay, the Boniface of the Arlington; Old King Cole of New York, "who never follows the course of the fly, who passes his life in miseri," and Dr. Hummel, "the champagne cocktail" of the profession; Herbert Durand, the poet laureate of the M. V.; Eugene Smith of Detroit is the last but not least of the "chut-mucks. THE FAMOUS PARK BANQUET. The banquet at the Park Hotel was a swell affair, and with Dr. Love in command, everything moved along with a vim and a dash characteristio of Love affairs. Dr. Lydston had just risen from his chair, wiped the champagne from his chin, and with innate dignity, and poetic poise, launched his (since) famous toast on "woman. His stentorian tones had but announced the quotation from "Sancho Panza" when, hark! a sound of angel whisperings resounding from the hotel lobby-a muffled "what is it?"came from every lip, and Dr. Lydston, as if from a premonition, faltered, paused-and then turned deathly pale, as the main doors burst open, admitting a hundred and fifty ladies-including his wife! The surprise was complete, and it is unnecessary to say a storm of applause greeted the entrance of the fair sex, who came over from the Arlington, with Col. Townsend as the chaperone, to hear what Dr. Lydston would say about "woman.' I am afraid they were disappointed in a degree, for while the doctor's speech was a beautiful tribute to womanly virtue, those present will always believe that he "cut out" some very interesting passages at least he stammered and blushed most pitiably "four or five times. IN THE SHADOWS. In looking down the list of those who took part in this memorable meeting, I find the names of many of our esteemed members who have since been called to their reward; among them Drs. Jno. B. Hamilton, editor of the Journal A. M. A., Ludwig Bremer, St. Louis; F. C. Woodburn, who served as secretary for a number of years; I. N. Love, the ruling spirit of the society; A. M. Owen of Evansville, the "watch-dog" of the treasury; Wm. H. Daly, of Pittsburg, and others. LIST OF EX-PRESIDENTS AND MEETING-PLACES. Below is given a list of the presidents and meetings at which they presided, since organization. ... 1884 *B. M. Griffith 1900 Harold N. Moyer 1901 A. H. Cordier. 1902 S. P. Collings. 1903 Edwin Walker. 1904 Hugh T. Patrick. 1905 Bransford Lewis..... *Deceased. A NEW THEORY OF THE ORIGIN OF YELLOW FEVER.-Dr. Reh, writing in the illustrated German review Umschau (Frankfort-on-the-Main), reviews a book recently published (in the Portuguese language) by a German scientist in Brazil. This writer, Dr. E. Goldi, of Para, declares that of the more than three hundred different varieties of mosquito, forty-nine belong to Europe, eighty-seven to Africa, ninety-four to Asia, thirty-eight to Australia, and one hundred and eleven to America. Only three of these varieties are in any special way connected with dangerous, contagious or infectious diseases. Dr. Goldi holds that yellow fever is not caused by bacteria, but by a poison contained in the saliva of one variety of mosquito. This variety bits only in daytime and with each bite injects a certain small quantity of poisonous saliva that affects the liver at once. In addition to the regular and ordinary precautions against contagion through this agency (destruction of the eggs, removal of stagnant water, protection by screens and so forth), Dr. Goldi recommends as an experiment the extraction of the poison from the mosquito's gland to be used as a serum. In commenting on this thecry, Dr. Reh declares himself in favor of a detailed experiment along these lines. Society Scintillations "True wisdom is to know what is best worth knowing, and to do what is best worth doing." -H. HUMPHREY. MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE MISSOURI VALLEY. Official Minutes of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting held in Council Bluffs, September 6 and 7, 1906. The society was called to order at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, September 6, in the banquet hall of the Grand Hotel by Dr. C. B. Hardin, vice-president. In the absence of Mr. McDonald, Congressman W. I. Smith, of Council Bluffs, gave the address of welcome. Mr. Smith in a few well chosen worde extended a cordial welcome on the part of the Commercial Club and the city government. He expressed the hope that the session would be a beneficial one in many ways, and that the delegates would take sufficient time from their duties to view the various attractions offered by the Carnival Company. He told the story of the distinguished gentleman who once said that three learned professions were endeavoring to save the people from destruction-the physician from disease and death, the clergyman from sin and spiritual death, and the lawyer from unjust spoilation and the loss of liberty. If for any reason the efforts of the physician should fail, and he should further fail in establishing his contention that the fault rested on the almighty, the lawyer, for a certain stipulation, was willing to help him out. Dr. E. W. Clark, of Grinnell, president of the Iowa State Medical Society, responded to the welcome, saying that while the members could not hope to partake of all the good things offered, they would do the best they could, and go away with pleasant memories of the hospitality of the city. He thought that the presence of so many physicians in the city at one time would preclude the thought of illness on the part of the people. He hoped and believed that their discussions might be of interest to the public Physicians must attend and keep up with the developments of the profession or fall by the wayside. The social feature of the coming together each year he regarded as of too much importance to be passed over lightly. It aroused a spirit of good fellowship, of interest in the common cause, and of confidence in each other. The reading of the minutes of last meeting was, upon motion, omitted, the same having been printed in the official journal, and no objections thereto having been filed. The Committee on Arrangements reported that tickets would be furnished members, admitting them to the carnival grounds. The secretary presented his report for the year, as follows: ANNUAL REPORT OF SECRETARY, To the President and Members of the Medical Society of the Missouri Valley: I have the honor to present the eighteenth annual report of the secretary. The year just closing has been a most prosperous one for our society, the meetings have been well attended, and a spirit of enthusiasm prevails which is most highly gratifying to its officers. A steady gain has been |