The Government met them so far as to appoint a Committee and to exclude from this Committee the man most distinguished in Sweden for knowledge of the subject and most dangerous to " the Centralists." I mean Dr. P. Haglund, the foremost Swedish doctor now in his prime, who has exclusively devoted the work of his life to physical therapeutics, not only to massage and medical gymnastics, but also to surgical and non-surgical orthopaedics. That he was not appointed to the committee was of itself a sufficient answer to the question asked here and there on the publication of the members' names : " What does it mean ? "

A still more suggestive and astounding fact is that on this Committee appointed for an administrative public health purpose, there is not a single doctor who is in practice.

The Chairman of the Committee, Dr. S. Von Friesen, a man of brilliant culture, is obviously able to grasp quickly a subject entirely new to him. Professors Johansson and Furst are the two members on the Committee in whom one might place the greatest hope. But these gentlemen are not doctors, and it is not impossible that the Committee's proposal may be the worst possible.

What would be the worst possible?

It would be that, for the benefit of "the Central" and the "Gymnas-tic Directors," but to the detriment of physical therapy and of the public interest, "the Central" should be continued as a school for physical therapy and educational gymnastics.

That thus for the benefit of "the Central" and the "Gymnastic Directors," but to the detriment of physical therapy and of the public interest, the unsuitable combination of the instruction and professional training in physical therapy and educational gymnastics should be continued.

That thus for the benefit of "the Central" and the "Gymnastic Directors," but to the detriment of physical therapy and the public interest, the unsuitably long and ill-used time of training should be kept up, or possibly even increased in length, owing to arrangements to meet unwise demands for preparatory study.

That for the benefit of "the Central " and the "Gymnastic Directors," but to the detriment of physical therapy and the public interest, the showy title of "Gymnastic Director" should continue to be given, and that everything should be done with the (hopeless) object of gaining for them a monopoly in massage and medical gymnastics.

All this would form the worst and most unwise scheme that the Committee could propose, and it is much to be feared that it is just what it will do.

On the other hand, what should be done?

In the first place, instruction in massage and medical gymnastics should be inaugurated in the Carolinska Institute; and the physical therapeutic school of the Central Institute, and the combination of physical therapy with educational gymnastics, as well as the institution of Gymnastic Directors, should be brought to an end.

A State Institution in alliance with the medical profession should be formed (after the example of the Gymnastic-Orthopadic Institute) for the training of men and women medical gymnasts and masseurs, and these should receive a diploma to show that they have passed an examination in their work.

Private competitors against this State Institution should not be done away with, since they have an enlivening effect and protect against the apathy of routine. But by means of inspectors and other control the good quality of these private institutions should be secured.

All this should be done, and it is possible that it will be done. But if it is done, it will in all probability not be due to the existing Committee, but to the body of the medical profession in Sweden, which might well have a decisive word in the matter, and indeed has this decisive word in regard to its practical application, and if it follows its already expressed opinions will render the Committee's decision null and void.

Even in this way we should not put an end to quackery. But we should be doing our best, not as at present, to make easier, but to make more difficult, the independent practice of physical treatment, especially of massage and medical gymnastics, by medically unskilled persons, and we should obtain a numerically sufficient class of competent workers who would not be encouraged in, and even strongly tempted to, quackery by showy titles and absurdly long and futile courses of training. As regards quackery, the Gymnastic Directors who practise it daily may ceas to trouble themselves over the comparatively innocent practice of it by others. Quackery will always be kept within reasonable limits by the enlightenment and sound intelligence of the Swedish people, the. professional and moral character and consequent influence of the Swedish medical faculty, and the penal regulations of the general law against those who inflict bodily injury.

In the spring of 1911 the medical profession in Sweden stated its position in regard to the "gymnastic question." The medical associations expressed themselves unanimously in favour of teaching in mechanotherapy being given in the Carolinska Institute, and the majority of these associations also expressed themselves unanimously or with large majorities in favour of separating the teaching of medical gymnastics from that of educational gymnastics, of the Central Institute ceasing to be a school of mechano-therapy, and of the training of masseurs and medical gymnasts being taken over by medical institutions. When a motion to adopt or reject an expression of opinion in this sense was put before the Medical Society of Stockholm the motion was carried by 85 votes to 3.