No one will deny the advantage, I might even say the necessity, of keeping a careful record of medical cases. Such records are now kept with more or less care in most hospitals and dispensaries, as well as by many physicians in private practice. It is probable, however, that most practitioners are lax in this respect, especially in cases seen away from their offices, largely, no doubt, for the lack of a convenient system. In this paper I will confine myself principally to the methods of preserving clinical records, referring only briefly to the filing of reprints, clippings, etc. Medical accounts should, in my opinion, be kept entirely apart from bedside notes and, therefore, will not be referred to in this connection.
The book system of keeping records has a few, and only a few, undeniable advantages: It is safe, i. e., individual histories can not be lost, and it