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New York MS Chapter Founded The Medical Society of the County of New York welcomes the newest arrival among the voluntary health agencies-the New York County Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. MS has been tackled at the national level but until the recent or- ganizational luncheon on April 20, 1954, there has been no working group at the county level in the world's greatest city. Goal of the N.Y. County chapter is to raise a modest $250,000 to aid victims of what has been classed as one of the most hopeless and tragic of the unsolved diseases of man- kind. Support will be given to national funds to provide fellowships for research studies and, at the local level, support can be given to aid the victims in the many problems which come to them and their families. Dr. Edward M. Bernecker, former Com- missioner of Hospitals and now Administrator of the NYU-Bellevue Medical Center re- marked, "Clinic facilities in many medical centers and hospitals will have to be expanded to provide the opportunity of medical care to the large number of patients who cannot afford the services of the private physician. Here the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis can be verified or discarded and any appropriate treatment instituted. I say treatment, but in no way mean to imply cure. "Modern rehabilitation techniques are often of value in properly selected cases and the op- portunity to profit from these techniques must not be withheld from those patients who are feasible for rehabilitation. The chapter hopes, also, to aggressively stimulate and assist in supporting fundamental medical research stud- ies so that the cause and cure of the disease will be discovered. There is a plan to estab- lish fellowships so that capable, well trained young physicians and other scientists will be attracted to offer their talents to this field, both clinically and investigatively. The edu- cational aspects, too, both to the physician and layman, are of obvious importance and will certainly not be neglected. "All of these things take money, and un- fortunately a great deal of it. The present campaign goal when attained will insure the beginning of such a program. I am certain as to its value. The patient with multiple sclero- sis need no longer be the forgotten patient of medicine. The future is promising, but a tremendous amount of work still remains to be accomplished. We in the medical profes- sion need your help in combatting this scourge of our young people, many of whom are just entering their normally productive years, so that they can live happy, useful, active, well adjusted lives." Warning On Lif e Insurance The selling of individual insurance is a highly competitive business and physicians, as a group, are high on the prospect list of any enterprising salesman. Dr. Renato J. As- sari, Chairman of the Council Committee on Economics of the Medical Society of the State of New York notes a recent example which the members of the Medical Society of the County of New York should view with warn- ing. According to Dr. Assari two brochures on insurance have recently been distributed by the Bartholon-Rowland Company of 30 Church Street, New York 7, New York, to members of the Society. He states, "One bro- chure provided benefits for life insurance and the other for extended sickness and accident benefits, this coverage to be underwritten by Union Casualty & Life Insurance 'Company, Mt. Vernon, N. Y." In the brochure is the statement: "Members of the Medical Society of the State of New York want more benefits when it comes to insurance-Now long term extended cover- age" . . . and again . . . "Membersh,ip in the Medical Society of the State of New York en- titles you to that extra $10,000 of life insur- ance to close the inflationary gap." Dr. Assari notes that these quotes are with- out prior knowledge or approval of the State Society, and that in no way at any time has the State Society endorsed any plans of the Union Casualty & Life Insurance Company of Mt. Vernon. The same applies to the Med- ical Society of the County of New York. 354 NEW YORK MEDICINE