Fellow Members of the Section on Ophthalmology: My first and very delightful duty is to welcome you to this annual gathering\p=m-\an event to which we have learned to look forward not only with pleasure but also with expectations of profit. Renewal of old friendships, contact with men whom we knew first for what they were doing and then claimed as personal friends, opportunities to blurt out our ignorance to hearers who are sympathetic because they have their own to swap for ours, shaking off

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... r the time being the responsibilities and tire of office work and yet staying in the environment in which we are most at home\p=m-\theseare some of the things our annual meeting affords; and they are not lightly to be turned aside. Some years ago I heard Dr. Osler say something like this\p=m-\Iam not sure even that he ever put it into print, but it ought to go there and ought to be remembered: "The doctor who lives to himself is a most dogmatic and dangerous animal. The patient watches his every expression; the nurse takes what he says as law and gospel ; the family waits at the foot of the steps to get the latest news, and rejoices or trembles at the great man's verdict. After a while he gets to believe it all himself. Only when he touches elbows with his fellow doctors does he reach his true level, and because of this he owes it to himself and his patients not to forsake the 'assembling of yourselves together.' " For my own part, I could afford to do without a great many things better than I could spare the help I get from an annual pilgrimage to this Section, and 1 know that I have plenty of companions feeling the same way. Of the social side of this meeting I can say only that I do not know anything about it. The Minnesota men served notice some months ago that they wanted hands olí; but that provision is ample, and that the man who does not have a good time will have only himself to thank, are facts apparent already to those who know our hosts, and will be apparent to those who do not in a surprisingly short time. I beg to thank you for considering me worthy of becoming your chairman, and for electing me to that position. I shall crave your indulgence for such errors as I may make, and for such success as attends our meeting I shall ask you to give the greater part of the credit to my friend who occupies the secretary's chair. Dr. Derby has been diligent in and out of season. In all the plans and work he has been ready with thoughtful suggestions and has always been willing to assume his own and others' duties. He, Dr. Posey, chairman of the Executive Committee, and I decided to make an effort to secure some new working material for our meetings. One cannot but be struck at society meetings with the number of men who are evidently doing good work, thinking about the problems presented in cvery-day practice, and yet taking no active part in contributing to the information fund. As the late Dr. Kipp of Newark once said to me, you get at what a man really thinks better on the hotel porch or at dinner than you do in a meeting. We have tried to get some of these men on our program this year, using those who have been the Section's mainstay in the opening of discussions. 1 think that we have achieved considerable success, and that the program sh'ows not only new names, but also work well worthy careful attention. In addition to those by members of the Section, we have three papers from invited guests. The trachoma question presents economic problems which have received careful study by the United States Public Health Service. We are indebted to the kindness and interest of Surgeon-General Rupert Blue for the detail of two of his officers, Drs. McMullen and Schereschewsky, to present this subject. With the addition of Dr. Stucky we have probably the three men who know most about the geographic, social and economic sides of this dreaded disease. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind has sent Mr. Henry Copley Green, its field agent for the conservation of sight, to present to us the big problem of saving eyes; no one has had greater experience, no one can speak more authoritatively. Mr. Heibert E. Ives of Philadelphia has kindly come to discuss the subject of light. Finally, it has been our endeavor to emphasize the pathologic side of ophthalmology. A number of men working in pathology have brought instructive specimens, and will have time to Chairman's address. \ s=d\As the f oot not es indicate, certain papers are here printed in abbreviated form.