THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE

Abstract

I AM sure that the greater part of our membership is not aware of the immense amount of productive work accomplished by our scientific committees. Unfortunately I cannot comment on all of them because there is not space. I shall outline the composition and objectives of three of these committees which shall serve as examples. I was going to include the Committee on Education, but I will refer to that committee in a later letter. The Committee on Immunization and Therapeutic Procedures has as its chairman John Miller of San Francisco. This committee is composed of nine pediatricians whose chief interest lies in the field of immunology. There are those interested in bacterial, viral, rickettsial, and other childhood diseases for which active or passive immunization has significance. Others are specialists in immune sera, vaccines, or other antigens, and still others in the public health aspect of contagious diseases. Together they have just finished the revision of the Red Book. It will soon be in your hands and you will realize when you see it the labor expended. It is not intended to be a text book but a concise and contemporaneous reference on what the committee regards as good standard practice. Peter Danis of St. Louis is the chairman of the Committee on Hospitals and Dispensaries. This committee is also composed of nine child specialists, and each was chosen because he or she was particularly qualified to contribute a special knowledge in the differing areas of the care of the child in the hospital.