membership close to 3000. Let it throw off the yoke, assert itself, and oil will be thrown on the troubled waters. Raise the Lone Star flag once more. Be we men and submit to be bossed and outraged? Already members are leaving the Octopus at the rate of one hundred a month.. See Secretary's report elsewhere. "1208 were dropped during the year; 171 deaths, 619 resignations" (fifty a month every month) and the balance (presumably) for nonpayment of dues-same as resignations. True, there was a net gain of 4300. This was largely accessions from New York State, whose "new code" State Association has been whipped back or coaxed back. They bring in several thousand. This was a master stroke (?) of "the benevolent assimilation" policy, the homeopathic leveling process now going on,-"unifying the profession."

It will be remembered that in 1884 certain leading New York delegates favored consulting with homeopaths, and, in consequence, were refused admittance to the A. M. A. at the Milwaukee meeting, I think it was (in 1884). They split off and organized a separate State association, and were known as the "new code men." They were never afterwards represented in the A. M. A. They come back now and bring their tails behind them, and all is lovely. And so goes on the leveling process, the loaf having been leavened with homeopathic leaven under the skillful manipulations of the redoubtable disciple of Hahneman, the SecretaryEditor of the Octopus.

But this big addition to the ranks was exceptional and can not occur again. In future the falling off will exceed the gains, and when the big Western State Medical Association now being organized by Jabez Jackson is inaugurated, the Western men will secede in a body. Then comes the seceding Southern States and the downfall of this modern Babel, where "medicine," homeopathy. faithhealing, osteopathy and voodoo are all represented and spoken.

THE PURE FOOD BILL.

The Pure Food Bill, after seventeen years before Congress, finally passed the House June 24th. It had already passed the Senate.

The bill as agreed upon makes it a misdemeanor for any person to manufacture, sell or offer for sale any article of food, drugs, medicines or liquors which is adulterated or mis-branded or which contains any poisonous substances.

Section 2 prohibits the introduction into any State or Territory or the District of Columbia from any State, Territory or district or any foreign country, or the shipment to any foreign country, of any food adulterated or misbranded within the meaning of the act under a penalty of not exceeding a fine of $200 for the first offense and $300 or one year's imprisonment, or both, for each subsequent offense.

Section 3 provides for rules and regulations for carrying out the act.

Section 4 provides for examination of specimens of food and drugs manufactured.

The standards for drugs are those recognized in the United States Pharmacopeia or national formulary. Confectionery is held adulterated if it contains any ingredient or coloring matter deleterious or detrimental to health. Foods are held adulterated if containing any substance reducing, lowering or injuriously affecting its quality or strength.

The use of preservatives by external application is permitted when the directions for the removal of such preservatives are printed on the covering of the package. Food products are declared adulterated if composed in whole or in part of a filthy, decomposed or putrid animal or vegetable substance or of any portion of an animal unfit for food, whether manufactured or not, or if the product of a diseased animal or one that has died otherwise than by slaughter.

The term misbranded applies to foods or drugs whose package or label bears any statement, design or device false or misleading, or falsely branded as to place where manufactured. Any article, however, which does not contain any poisonous ingredients shall not be deemed adulterated or misbranded when known under its distinctive name, or if compounds, imitations or brands are plainly indicated.

The term "brands" is construed to mean a mixture of like substances and does not exclude harmless coloring or flavoring ingredients.

Proprietors or manufacturers of foods which are not unwholesome are not required to disclose their formula.

Dealers are protected against prosecution if they hold the guaranty of the concern from whom they are purchased. The act is to take effect January 1 next.

THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON TUBERCULOSIS. NEW YORK, NOV. 14, 15, 16.

The following correspondence is published for the information. of the profession and of all persons interested in this great humanitarian work. The Congress is thus under the ægis of the Federal government, has its endorsement, support and the seal of its authority. If there has been any doubt on the success of the Congress this high approval will remove it.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

WASHINGTON, June 5, 1906.

Clark Bell, Esquire, Treasurer of the American International Congress on Tuberculosis, 39 Broadway, New York.

SIR: In reply to your letter of April 2d last, I have to inform you that on May 31 instructions were sent to American diplomatic officers in American States to support the invitation extended by the American International Congress on Tuberculosis to send delegates to its meeting in November next.

In compliance with your request, the instructions sent by Mr. Hay concerning the meeting of the Congress at St. Louis was embodied in the instructions sent on the 31st ultimo. I enclose a printed copy of them.

On the same day the American diplomatic representatives in Great Britain, France, Denmark and the Netherlands were directed to support the invitation to their respective American colonial. possessions to be represented at the Congress.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

ROBERT BACON,
Acting Secretary.

Enclosure: To American diplomatic officers in American States, May 31, 1906.

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON

TUBERCULOSIS.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

WASHINGTON, May 31, 1906.

To the Diplomatic Officers of the United States in American States.

GENTLEMEN: The Department is informed by the Executive Committee of the American International Congress on Tuberculosis that they have sent to the Government of each American

Country an invitation for official representation by that government in the next session of the Congress, which will be held at the city of New York during the three days of November 14, 15 and 16, 1906; and the request is made of the Department to give such support to the invitation as it properly may.

In instructing the diplomatic officers to give their support to a similar invitation extended by the Congress for their St. Louis meeting in 1904, my predecessor, Mr. Hay, said:

"The humanitarian object which this Congress has in view-to reach by the discussion of scientific men some result in arresting the spread and averting, so far as it may be found possible, the ravages of this dreadful disease, which now falls with such terrible force and fatality upon the people of the Western Hemisphere— can not but enlist the sympathy and approval of the government to which you are accredited.

"The Department will, therefore, be pleased to have you say to that government that this government is in entire sympathy with the work of the proposed Congress, and would be pleased to learn that the Government of........took a like interest in its success by the acceptance of the committee's invitation and the appointment of three or more scientific gentlemen to represent it at the Congress.

"This government would also be pleased if that of. . . . . . . .could find it convenient to comply with the request of the committee to give the matter publicity, in order that it may come to the knowledge of interested organizations and public spirited citizens of that country."

The Department will be pleased to have you present the matter of the New York meeting in the same light.

I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,

ELIHU ROOT.

N'IMPORTE The Texas State Journal of Medicine, edited by the accomplished Dr. Chase, descends from its dignity and makes an assault upon the Red Back, not only totally unwarranted by the facts, but in language unbecoming him. He questions my veracity, and uses such harsh words as "untrue," "garbled," "misleading," "grotesque," etc. To be sure, the charge has no basis in fact, and I feel inclined to pass it up. Every word I said of "The Mixed Board Bill" is literally true. I pass the proffered offense, declining to be offended-it isn't worth while, really. I take to myself the words of Epictetus, the great Stoic philosopher: "Be

mild in temper to them that revile you, and remember that it seems so to them." In fact, I am mellowed a little by age, I suppose, and am, perhaps, more charitable than I was.

What stung the genial doctor and made him forget his manners was my statement in the May number that "the mixed board bill came to grief and was not even presented to the House of Delegates"; and that the Red Back's exposure of the "proposed bill" opened the eyes of the members to the enormity of the thing and killed it. This, with the fact that the "proposed bill" was published exclusively in the Red Back, constituting a "scoop on this important piece of news which I (he) would find it difficult. to explain" (Dr. Chase's letter to me at the time), seems to have been like a gadfly to his sensitive epidermis. Now, will Dr. Chase say that the "proposed bill" that was sent to the county societies in March for action, and which provided for so many physicians, so many homeopaths, so many eclectics and a pro rata of osteopaths, was even or ever presented to the House of Delegates in the form it was submitted to the county societies? Every person present knows that it was not. But, on assembling, Dr. Chase and the others of the committee found such opposition to the mixed character of the bill, an opposition awakened by the Red Back's exposure (for the greater number of those with whom I talked had never seen the thing,-notwithstanding it had been submitted to county societies)-and he stated that the committee deemed it best not to present it in the original form, but to strike out the objectionable features (all reference to pathies, the mixed feature). It was accordingly done. The character of the bill was, therefore, entirely changed. The "mixture" was knocked out. Did it not "come to grief"-as stated? It was no longer a bill for a "mixed board," but a bill for one board of medical examiners, consisting of eleven physicians to be appointed by the Governor. To this bill I made and make no objection, provided the Governor selects the men, and no quack is asked for by our grand Association.

The doctor asks why I can not help further the interests of the Association, or words to that effect. It is for that very purposefurthering the interests and preserving the honor and the dignity and the traditions of legitimate medicine that I opposed the passage by the House of a bill which would have compromised them all. And it is for the best interests and for the honor and dignity of the regular profession that I have spent the best twentyodd years of my life in thankless labor.