Approximately 600 doctors and guests from over Louisiana were here Monday for the 78th annual convention of the Louisiana State Medical Society which opened with a meeting of its house of delegates in the Lake Room of the Capt. Shreve hotel.
Delivering the keynote address of the first session Monday night was Dr. George F. Lull of Chicago, 111,, secretary and assistant to the president of the American Medical Asso-
ciation.
Also scheduled for the session Monday night was the recognition of Dr. T. A. Hendrick of Shreveport as one of the Louisiana physicians celebrating their 50th year of practice in 1958.
Dr. H. Ashton Thomas of New Orleans, president, called the meeting to order. Speakers on the program included Mayor James C. Gardner of Shreveport; Dr. Kenneth B. Jones, president of the Shreveport Medical Society, and Dr. Arthur D. Long of Baton Rouge, state president-elect.
Dr. Thomas assured residents of Northwest Louisiana that the Louisiana medical community
is ready to come to their assistance if their help is needed in the present flood emergency.
Dr. Thomas's remarks were addressed to the opening session of the LMA meeting.
Dr. Lull, said that the United States is the healthiest nation in the world and that socialization of medicine would be the opening wedge in complete socialization of the American economy
