A. M. A.

Pickpockets, prostitutes, politicians and Death perturbed some 6,000 U. S. physicians who went to Kansas City last week for the annual convention of the American Medical Association. The underworld remained outside the convention doors. Inside, Presidential Candidate Alfred Mossman Landon did himself no harm by declaring: "Medicine will not willingly be made the servile instrument of politicians or the instrument of domineering bureaucrats." Up leaped the 6,000 doctors, roaring and whistling their approval.

Death, threatening the life of the A. M. A.'s President-Elect James Tate Mason, made last week's meeting the most emotional in the A. M. A.'s 89 years' existence. Dr. Mason, 54, lay critically ill in his Seattle hospital as result of a thrombosis. The thrombosis had compelled amputation of Dr. Mason's left leg (TIME, May 11) and last week threatened amputation of the other. No one knew better than Surgeon Mason how dire the consequences might be. Bravely he sent a "last message" to the medical assembly over which he could not preside. "I have an abiding and unlimited faith in your integrity. I know you will keep faith with the public and never let selfish interests for one moment divert you from the high purpose to which you have dedicated your efforts and your lives."

The doctors, looking at Dr. Mason's empty convention chair, expected dutiful President James McLester, who was ending his year in office, to continue another year. But a tremulous voice moved that Dr. Mason be declared president, in absentia. With sighs of sadness and not a few tears, it was so declared. Said Dr. Mason in Seattle: "That's fine."

Active head of the A. M. A. this year will be Manhattan's burly surgeon, Dr. Charles Gordon Heyd. 51. onetime president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, longtime chief surgeon of Manhattan's Post-Graduate Hospital, longtime Columbia University professor of surgery. Dr. Heyd was elected A. M. A. vice president.

Antithesis in many respects to Dr. Heyd is lanky Dean John Howell Janeway Upham of Ohio State's College of Medicine.

Dr. Upham, 64, has taught medicine at Ohio State since 1897, has practiced medicine very little in recent years. He has devoted himself to organization medicine, licensing young doctors in Ohio, lobbying before the Ohio Legislature, serving as an A.M.A. official since 1922. Three years ago he began a two-year term as chairman of the A.M.A.'s board of trustees, the group of nine doctors who control the entire A.M.A. Last week this potent official was elected A.M.A. president to take office next summer when U. S. medicine meets in Atlantic City.

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