At the recent sparsely attended National Conference of State Boards of Health, held in Chicago June 10-12 inst., one of the topics for discussion was the necessity for a "National Department of Public Health, " the topic being proposed by the State Board of Health of Alabama and the discussion, according to the program, was to have been opened by Dr. J. N. McCormack of the Kentucky State Board of Health. In Dr. McCormack's absence the discussion was opened by Dr. Jerome Cochran of Alabama, who spoke at considerable length in advocacy, not of a National Department, nor even of an independent Bureau of Public Health, but of a sub-bureau of the Marine-Hospital Bureau, with its chief officer to be appointed by the Supervising Surgeon General of the Marine-Hospital Service.
Naturally there was considerable surprise among such of the delegates as had given the subject thoughtful consideration and Dr. Henry B.