The scientific program of the meeting was somewhat in the nature of a postgraduate course, designed to bring the practicing pediatrician up-to-date on the various subjects presented. Much experimental data was presented to support new beliefs. Four of the six sessions consisted of symposia, the two others included a variety of timely topics. The opening paper of the meeting was given by Allan M. Butler entitled, "Management of Diabetic Acidosis," in which he discussed the basic electrolyte disturbances in this disease as related to acid-base imbalance. He stressed the need for giving both extracellular and intracellular electrolytes in the repair solutions and pointed out that saline solution should be adjusted so that the Na and Cl are in equal osmolar concentration to that of the plasma. Wolf W. Zuelzer presented the second paper on "Liver Deficiency Anemia in Children." He emphasized that this condition is certainly not rare and that probably many of these cases of megaloblastic anemia in infants were being overlooked. The clinical syndrome which he has so well described was presented and the possibility of a dietary factor as etiologic was discussed. The rapidity of the bone marrow response to folic acid and liver extract was clearly brought out. The final paper of the first session was presented by Harold W. Dargeon, entitled, "Newer Agents in the Treatment of Childhood Cancer." This included a large group of patients with leukemia. The effect of radioactive isotopes, nitrogen mustard, carbomates (urethane), and folic acid and allied substances on 61 cases was presented. With the use of various of these substances remissions were obtained but so far cures were not produced by any.
The second session was given over to a symposium on "Metabolic Disturbances." Katharine Dodd opened the session with a discussion of various hypocalcemic states seen in pediatric practice. She pointed out that the so-called rachitic tetany makes up a relatively small percentage of the total incidence and emphasized the frequency of hypocalcemia in post-acidotic (diarrheal) states.