we consider that less than two years. ago there was not a single ways prepared in Mobile for shipbuilding, and that we now have seven ship building plants, you can see what progress has been made. All of these places are open to the medical profession for inspection, and your badges will give you entry to the different yards.

To say to you that Mobile stands ready at all times to welcome her children within her borders would be out of place with me, but we are glad to have you. We are glad to have you come and once every three years is as long a time as any citizen of the State of Alabama should absent himself from Mobile. Gentlemen, the city is yours-take it! We can no longer extend to you that liquid welcome that we used to, but we extend to you just as cordial a welcome as we know how to under the circumstances. (Applause.)

The Chairman: Dr. J. O. Rush will now speak to us on behalf of the medical society.

Dr. J. O. Rush:

It is useless

Mr. Chairman, Gentlemen of the Association: for me to go into any speech of welcome to you. Dr. Inge has said all there is to be said. I only wish to say to you as President of the Mobile County Medical Society that we stand ready to do all we can for you while you are here. As Dr. Inge said, many men may go away disappointed because of the lack of rain and other moisture that once existed here (laughter), but to me this is the greatest meeting we have ever had in Mobile, because it is a victory meeting and those who went across and participated there, as well as those who stayed home in the cantonments, can participate with us here.

I extend to you, gentlemen, the welcome of the County Medical Society and hope you will enjoy this meeting more than any you have ever had in Mobile.

The Chairman: The next speaker is a member of one of the most representative families of Alabama, and the youngest Mayor that Mobile has ever had. I take pleasure in introducing to you Hon. G. E. Crawford, Mayor of Mobile.

Hon. G. E. Crawford:

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Medical Association of Alabama: As I listened to the welcome extended with such easy grace by my friends, Dr. Inge and Dr. Rush, I have been thinking that it was a pity that they were not Mayor

as well as being members of this Association, so that they could also extend to you a welcome on the part of the city of Mobile. I, however, am very glad that I am in position to have that honor and to show you how much I thought of it I want to tell you that I came without an invitation. I was not going to overlook this opportunity of expressing the high gratification that we feel over having such a distinguished and learned body of men in our city. You are indeed welcome, gentlemen. Not as welcome as you would perhaps have been during the influenza epidemic (laughter), but nevertheless very welcome.

I find it is very hard for a layman like me to know what to say to a gathering of experts like you. Anything I may say to you might seem out of place. In thinking over words of welcome I looked over some medical books and thought I would come up and tell you what you were doing or what you ought to do. Then I thought, "Crawford, you are crazy. They have made a life-long study of those things and know more about them than you could hope to in a year, and you would be foolish to go up there and talk to them about matters in which they are immediately concerned." (Laughter.) But, gentlemen, although I may not be able to talk your talk, I realize the value of your services to humanity and especially to the city of Mobile.

I wonder just how the Medical Association happened to come to Mobile? I realize that it is largely due to the personality and energy of our local men in endeavoring to bring the meeting here. Yet I think some other things work in bringing you to Mobile at this time. Some people might say you had come to investigate the sleeping sickness that is said to exist in the city departments. (Laughter.) I think you come for something else, for the reason that many others come to this city, because you see a new city of Mobile-a new city of new life, energy and business, and last but not least, a new city in that there is a large field of opportunities and responsibility for work in your particular line. And I believe, gentlemen, that you have come here to show us that you feel a confidence in our city, that you see our new burdens with these new opportunities that are upon us, and that you come here to express your confidence and to co-operate with our local citizens to make Mobile the greatest city in Alabama and one of the greatest in the entire country. (Applause.)

Among the many lessons, my friends, that we have learned from the war are certainly two. One of these was that the doctor was indispensable in the beginning and during the conduct of the war, and the other, that he is indispensable after the war is over. When we consider that the draft records show that about seventy or eighty per cent of the men examined were deficient in some particular, then we, in our official position and the doctors in their professional capacity, have to join the new movement of today which is that we must start out right now to raise the physical standard of the coming generation. (Applause.) We have to preach the doctrine which is not entirely new, but is certainly not known to all, that the thing we need most is prevention rather than medication and I believe you doctors have come here to help us in that. We are indeed glad to have you. On account of your presence we have put on our best welcome; the sun is shining brightly-or was until a few moments ago. If you go out tonight you will see the moon in all its glory shining down a welcome upon you. If you will go out into the country you will see the orange blossoms in full bloom. If you get heated in your debates you can go to the bay and get cooled off by the breeze. And so you see that even the elements and nature join the people of Mobile in extending to you a very cordial welcome at this time. (Applause.)

The Chairman: The next thing on the program is the Annual Message of the President.

A telegram from Dr. Watkins was read by the Secretary, expressing his regret that sickness prevented his attendance. Dr. R. S. Hill moved that a message of sympathy to Dr. Watkins be sent in the name of the Association. Seconded, carried and so ordered.

The Chairman: In the absence of Dr. Watkins, Dr. Welch will read the President's Message.

Dr. S. W. Welch: It was rather a pathetic scene when Dr. Watkins found that he could not be here, and he asked me tɔ appear before you in his place and bear to you his greetings and regrets that it was impossible for him to preside over this meeting. He had looked forward to it with so much pleasure.

ANNUAL MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.

I. L. WATKINS, MONTGOMERY.

Fellow Members of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama: I desire to thank you most heartily for choosing me to be your president during the past year. This honor is usually conferred on one who has in some way, by good works or otherwise, merited the distinction. I make no such claim, but attribute my election to your generosity or to the spirit of the times. Just as the election was due to take place the newsboys were crying, "Extra," "Extra," all over the streets and the most distressing news was coming from France. The headlines were, "The Germans in three miles of Amiens and Haig's Army with their backs to the wall." "The Germans in eight miles of Verdun and the French Army falling back." So with your usual patriotism all members of military age volunteered, and one who was unable to carry a gun, and who belonged to the class of the unfit, was elected president. Feeling the call to service just as strongly as those of you who went to war I cheerfully accepted the honor and assumed the obligation.

The Program.

A glance at the program this year will indicate that a departure has been made from the regular routine. In view of the fact that this meeting is being held at the close of the most momentous war which has ever taken place in the history of mankind and in view of the fact that practically one-fourth of our members have been engaged in this war it has been thought wise to cast the program in such a way as to bring to the profession at large the lessons which they have learned. It will be noted that most of the reporters and all of the visitors are men who have been in military service.

Lessons Learned From the Draft.

I desire to call the attention of the people of this State to some important lessons which we have learned in connection with the selection of men for the army. First, it has been shown that a very high per cent of our young men between

the ages of 18 and 45 were unfit for military duty. The causes for this unfitness fall under two generad heads: (a) Nondevelopment because of improper living conditions. (b) The existence of communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, hookworm, malaria and venereal disease.

Men of draft age are but an index to the community at large. They are no better or no worse physically than those older and younger, and it is distressing to contemplate the degree to which our people are handicapped because of the conditions set forth above.

Efforts have been made to have papers presented on Reconstructive or Orthopedic Surgery and upon the Medical Lessons From the Draft. It has been impossible to secure writers on these topics, but I hope that you will be more fortunate at your next session. An editorial paragraph in one of the State papers furnishes much food for thought. I quote: "The passing of the draft boards marks the passing of a system which millions of Americans can look back upon with grateful sentiments. It sifted out men for the army, took others and placed them in classification based upon the special fitness of the individual. Others were startled to hear that they were not physically sound. The unpleasant news which the boards gave them sent them to their physicians and in thousands of cases caused young men to discipline themselves for the sake of their bodies. This they might not have done but for the physical examinations which they underwent. On the whole the draft boards. were most efficient and did their work splendidly."

The statistical compilation of the work of these boards will be very valuable as a basis of public health work.

Volunteer Medical Corps.

During the first part of the year, in fact up to the signing of the armistice but little attention was given to matters affecting the Association in a general way. The entire efforts of the organization were directed toward furnishing Alabama's quota of doctors for the army. The value of our county organizations was beautifully demonstrated in the work that was accomplished. It was not a difficult matter to take the medical census of the State, and to locate those who were of military age