"Where Do We Come From...."

Abstract

dresses, it is traditional for outgoing presidents of our organizations to speak to their memberships as a kind of final rite. Generally, the theme is one in which the wisdom accumulated during the preceding year is shared with at least those in attendance, if not with the expanded professional constituency. Perhaps our wisest, Dr. Maxwell Finland, attempted to establish a negative tradition by not giving a speech at all! I am certain that my concern over what to say, and how to say it, has been no greater than that of my predecessors. Interestingly, when I have sought advice from colleagues on odd occasions, the responses went something like this: Give them a straightforward, scientific address. Make it a political statement. meeting format has been changed drastically, so why not eliminate it altogether? The latter had not occurred to me, but it certainly could not be faulted for attractiveness. As a matter of fact, I had just about decided to take this course except that I found myself being gnawed at by a question which has been put to me repeatedly this past year. Generally, this has been during visits to infectious disease units when more than one fellow would ask me,