Former Presidents with profound interest in this Society have emphasized the need of more competent proctologists throughout the country. They have deplored the fact that the teaching of proctology in many undergraduate medical schools is still neglected and that proctology as a specialty has not received from hospital staffs the recognition it deserves.

Graduates of the majority of the medical schools come to our hospitals as internes entirely ignorant of how to make a rectal examination of what they see when they do try to make one and of the great amount of pathology to be found.

Postgraduate courses in proctology are always well attended, papers on proctologic subjects are in demand by medical societies and the discussions which follow indicate the need for more and better education along this line. Dr. Jackson has pointed out the crying need of proctologists in cities of 50,000 population and upwards, of which there are so many throughout the United States and Canada.