Number ofThe Journal Research Articles

More Magazines Forgo Tobacco Ads, Some by Choice, Many by Chance

UPDATING the JAMA list of magazines that carry no advertisements for cigarettes or other tobacco products is a daunting task. Hundreds of new periodicals debut each year even as hundreds of others disappear. Yet the Medical News & Perspectives staff perseveres, trying to make it easier for physicians to fill their reception rooms with reading material whose commercial content is not hazardous to their patients' health. Thanks also to the contributions of a number ofThe Journal's readers, particularly the members of DOC (Doctors Ought to Care), a group of physicians dedicated to educating the public about the causes of preventable illness, this list contains many new tobacco-free titles along with the no-smoking standbys. A word of warning is in order, however. According to Alan Blum, MD, associate professor of family medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex, chair of DOC, and former JAMA Fishbein Fellow in Medical

Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976

President Ford signed into law the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1976 (PL 94-484) on Oct 12, 1976. A discussion of some of the issues that were considered during the prolonged development of this legislation appears elsewhere in this number ofThe Journal. Effective and suitable relationships between the federal government, including the Congress and the Executive, and the schools of the health professions have been at the heart of much of the debate. In fact, inherent in the differences, discussions, and deliberations has been the fundamental question of whether higher education, the individual students who are pursuing it, and the institutions that provide the setting for higher education should be subjected to federal regulation as the requirement for eligibility for resources collected from the public and redistributed by the federal government. Although the legislation itself applies directly only to the schools of the health professions, the regulatory provisions

The Memorial University of Newfoundland

To the Editor:— Although the educational number ofThe Journal( 210 , Nov 21, 1969) did not describe the School of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada's newest, its first pilot class of 16 students was admitted last September. Previous plans anticipated their entry in September 1970, showing the rapidity with which progress has been made. Of the faculty of more than 35 members, approximately one third come from Newfoundland and other Canadian provinces, one third from the United States, and the remainder from various parts of the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. Although two years of university or college training is minimal for admission, the present class includes mostly students who have completed three years of university study or who have already obtained a BA or BS degree. A unique feature of the curriculum permits the awarding of a bachelor of medical science degree at the end

Drugs Evaluated by the Council on Drugs

TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE for the busy physician to readily ascertain the Council's opinion on new drugs, brief summaries of evaluations by the Council during the past year are compiled here. This summary is an annual feature of the Therapeutic Number ofThe Journal. Statements on recently evaluated drugs are also published periodically inThe Journalto make this information available sooner for the physician. The complete monographs on these drugs, containing information on actions, uses, dosage, precautions, and other pertinent properties, appear in the 1963 edition of<i>New and Nonofficial Drugs</i>; copies of the monographs may also be obtained by writing to the Secretary, Council on Drugs. <h3>Amitriptyline hydrochloride (Elavil Hydrochloride).—</h3> This is an antidepressant agent very similar to imipramine hydrochloride, which it resembles chemically and pharmacologically. It appears to be useful in the management of the depressed phases of anxiety and manic-depressive states and in the treatment of

NON SIBI SED MEDICINAE—III

It may be well to begin this discussion with a translation of its title, "not for ourselves but for medicine," which is the traditional motto of the Council on Drugs. With this third annual Therapeutic Number ofThe Journal, the Council continues its attempt periodically to review some of the more pressing problems facing the medical profession and its individual practitioners. Problems there are and always will be in a complex, ever more rapidly developing discipline. Among the most important of these problems in medicine is that of the physician's continuing education. Perhaps more than any other professional man, the physician, even though he has completed his internship and residency, is not a finished product. He must take time from his busy life to keep abreast of new developments or, within a few years, his knowledge will be obsolescent. In the lead article of this issue (p. 233), Dowling discusses

The history and role of accrediting in higher education.

THE EDUCATION NUMBER ofThe Journal of the American Medical Association dated Nov. 11, 1961, contains a short historical section which has particular relevance to the subject of this afternoon's discussions. Even though most of you are familiar with its contents I wish to quote from this report because of the dramatic way in which medical education exemplifies the history of higher education in the United States. The report states: It is eminently clear that this history (of medical education) cannot be ignored for most of it is of a nature that would be disastrous to repeat.... During the course of the nation's history, 444 medical schools were organized and of these only 86 or 20% are in existence today. Up to the end of the last century, 357 schools had been organized and 165 of them were in operation as the century came to a close. Our system of

NON SIBI SED MEDICINAE

This, the first annual Therapeutic Number ofThe Journal, inaugurates one of several new projects of the Council on Drugs. In the Council's expanded drug information program, the annual Therapeutic Number is designed to present and discuss facts and opinions on the fundamental aspects of therapeutics which are important to the practicing physician. The communications in this issue discuss a number of the problems that confront the medical profession in attempting to ascertain the significant facts concerning the properties of new drugs, their advantages, and disadvantages. Few physicians are in a position to conduct clinical trials on new drugs. Since most do not have the specific training, time, or subjects for such studies, their knowledge of new agents cannot be obtained firsthand. Rather the rationale for the drug therapy they employ must be based on information received from others. One of the most important functions of the Council is to

Medical licensure statistics for 1954; fifty-third annual presentation of licensure statistics by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of The American Medical Association.

Statistical compilations regarding medical licensure are presented annually in the State Board Number ofThe Journal. The report for 1954 constitutes the 53rd annual presentation. Data are included pertaining to (<i>a</i>) medical examining and licensing boards of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and outlying possessions of the United States, (<i>b</i>) the boards of examiners in the basic sciences, and (<i>c</i>) the National Board of Medical Examiners. The computations presented are based on official records received throughout the year from all medical examining and licensing agencies of all states, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Canal Zone. No physicians were licensed for civilian practice in the Virgin Islands in 1954. The figures for Connecticut and Maryland also include data reported by the homeopathic medical examining boards of those states. The homeopathic board in Louisiana had no new licentiates last year. By act of the legislature,

APPROVED INTERNSHIPS AND RESIDENCIES IN THE UNITED STATES

ANNUAL REPORT ON INTERNSHIPS AND RESIDENCIES BY THE COUNCIL ON MEDICAL EDUCATION AND HOSPITALS OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION The approved internship and residency lists are again being published in a special Internship and Residency Number ofThe Journal. They include changes in and additions to the lists as of May 1, 1949. Subsequent changes will appear in the Educational Number ofThe Journal, scheduled for publication in September. The 1949 internship list includes data on all hospitals presently approved by the Council for intern training. Approved hospitals are listed geographically followed by information relating to the type of ownership or control, the bed capacity, number of annual admissions, percentage of service cases, type of internship offered, length of program, number of positions available, affiliated assignments, outpatient service, autopsy rate and monthly stipend. In view of the

St. Francis Hospital

In the Hospital Number ofThe Journal, March 28, page 1088, the symbol⁺indicating approval for residency, intended for St. Francis Hospital, Wichita, Kan., was mistakenly placed on St. Francis Hospital, Topeka, Kan.

Baccalaureate Degrees at Columbia

In the Educational Number ofThe Journal, August 30, page 699, it was stated in listing the medical schools in the United States and Canada that the school of the United States having the fewest graduates with college degrees was Columbia University and that only 4 of the 104 graduates in 1941 had baccalaureate degrees. This was an error, and the opposite is true; that is, of the 104 graduates, only 4 did not have baccalaureate degrees.

Hospital Accredited for Nurse Training.

—In the Hospital Number ofThe Journal, March 12, the Sterling Public Hospital, Sterling, Ill., was reported as not accredited for nurse training. The state department of registration and education, which thus reported the hospital to this office, now writes that this training school for nurses has been accredited for a number of years.

Hospitals Accredited by State Board.—

The Whidden Memorial Hospital (or Everett Cottage Hospital), Everett, Mass., is accredited by the Massachusetts State Board of Nurse Examiners. Information to the contrary was published in the Hospital Number ofThe Journal, March 12, p. 803. —It was stated inThe Journal, March 12, p. 799, that Sellers' Hospital, Anniston, Ala., is not accredited by the Nurses Board of Examination and Registration of Alabama. The statement was based on information supplied by that board, which now says that the hospital is accredited.

St. Louis Hospitals Accredited for Nurses.

—The Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's Infirmary, both of St. Louis, are accredited by the Missouri State Board of Nurse Examiners. Information to the contrary was published in the Hospital Number ofThe Journal, March 12, p. 805.

THE ANALYSIS OF SPINAL FLUID TESTS

At the risk of being elementary and pedantic, I wish to emphasize certain fundamental principles in diagnosis wherein the examination of the cerebrospinal fluid is of importance. The excuse for such a summary is to be found on every hand, from the query of a writer in a recent number ofThe Journal, who wishes an answer as to when lumbar puncture is indicated, to the case in which you and I have obtained unusual findings which we cannot easily interpret. Nor do the text-books on fluid diagnosis always clarify the situation, for, on turning to the description of the fluid in brain tumor, we read: In tumors of the brain, the amount of cerebrospinal fluid may or may not be increased.... The cells are usually increased.... The globulin as a rule is not increased but may be slightly increased.... The Lange test may show changes. True, but not very

RECIPROCITY AND MEDICAL LICENSURE IN CALIFORNIA

To the Editor: —In the article by Raymond Pearl on the Distribution of Physicians in the United (The Journal, April 4), it is shown that in 1920 there were in the Pacific division of the United States 24.4 physicians per 10,000 of population, while in the second highest group, the West North Central division, there were only 17 physicians per 10,000 of population. That is, the Pacific division in 1920 had 43.5 per cent, more physicians in proportion to the population than any other division of the United States. It is probable that the percentage at the present time, five years later, is even greater than this. In the state board number ofThe Journal, May 2, it is shown that in 1924 California issued reciprocity certificates to 388 physicians, while only sixteen physicians left California by reciprocity for other states. The state that issued the next highest number

CEREBRO‐SPINAL MENINGITIS

DrF. W. Reilly, assistant commissioner of health, Chicago, has courteously furnished us, for advance publication, the report on "Epidemic Cerebrospinal Meningitis in Chicago," by Dr. W. J.Class, the first instalment of which appears in this number of theJournal. This report, through an abstract which appeared in the monthly bulletin issued by the health department, several months ago, has caused widespread comment in this country and abroad. Cerebrospinal meningitis has been, and is, quite prevalent throughout the country and the thorough discussion of the subject here given is timely and important.

CEREBRO‐SPINAL MENINGITIS

DrF. W. Reilly, assistant commissioner of health, Chicago, has courteously furnished us, for advance publication, the report on "Epidemic Cerebrospinal Meningitis in Chicago," by Dr. W. J.Class, the first instalment of which appears in this number of theJournal. This report, through an abstract which appeared in the monthly bulletin issued by the health department, several months ago, has caused widespread comment in this country and abroad. Cerebrospinal meningitis has been, and is, quite prevalent throughout the country and the thorough discussion of the subject here given is timely and important.

Glimpse of a Great Surgeon

To the Editor: —In a recent number ofThe Journal(Sept. 7, 1912, p. 814), mention was made of the semicentennial celebration of the first ovariotomy performed in France by Dr. Koeberle of Strasburg, who is now living in retirement. The operation had been performed in England, Germany and America shortly before Dr. Koeberle undertook his. At that time the performance of such a daring thing as an abdominal operation was looked on as almost criminal. About six years ago I happened to be traveling between Heidelberg and Paris. When the train stopped at Strasburg, three people entered my compartment; a middle-aged, heavyset woman, accompanied by a gentleman who shortly after repaired to the smoker; and a very old gentleman wearing a long black coat and a high hat, from under which straggled a few locks of white hair. Looking over the top of my book, which was, nevertheless, quite

On the Treatment of Cases of Acute Insanity by Rest in Bed in the Open Air

Having been engaged during the past three years in treating cases of active insanity by rest in bed in the open air, I am able to add my testimony to that of Dr. Easterbrook, as published in the last number of the Journal of Mental Science, as to the value of this method of treatment in suitable cases.