AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, an American college or guild (not a teaching institution), whose fellowship em braced in 1939 approximately 12,50o qualified surgeons and surgi cal specialists, principally in North and South America. The college was organized in 1913 by some soo surgeons of North America, leaders in every branch of surgery and representatives of all sections of the United States and Canada. The object of the col lege is "to establish and maintain an association of surgeons, not for pecuniary profit but for the benefit of humanity by advancing the science of surgery and the ethical and competent practice of its art ; by establishing standards of hospital construction, administration, and equipment, and all else that pertains to them ; by engaging in scientific research to determine the cause, nature, and cure of disease; by aiding in better instruction of doctors; by formulating standards of medicine; and methods for the improvement of all adverse conditions surrounding the ill and injured wherever found." At the annual clinical con gresses and sectional meetings of the college, , conferences are held on all matters pertaining to general surgery and the surgi cal specialties, and to hospital standardization of interest to the profession, hospital personnel, and the public. The "Minimum Standard for Hospitals" of the college sets forth definite re quirements essential for every hospital which aims to give the highest degree of efficiency in the professional care of its patients. Regular and special bulletins are published by the college containing information dealing with clinical research in cancer, bone sarcoma, and fractures and other traumas ; graduate training for surgery; cancer clinics; hospital standardization, and other phases of the work of the college. A hospital informa tion and service bureau is maintained. Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics is the official journal of the college. The library and department of literary research of the college were organ ized to co-ordinate literature on surgery and closely allied subjects and to encourage the wider reading and study of scien tific material. A department of clinical research includes the committee on cancer, the committee on fractures and other traumas, and the registry of bone sarcoma. There is also a com mittee on the Hall of the Art and Science of Surgery of the college. An extensive plan for approving medical motion picture films is fostered by the college. Annually, in October, the college pub lishes an approval number of its bulletin in which are included approval lists as follows : hospitals ; opportunities for graduate training in general surgery and the surgical specialties ; stand ardized surgical dressings ; cancer clinics ; medical services in industry; and medical motion picture films. Annually, in January, there is published a Blue Book of fellows of the college. The headquarters of the college are at 4o East Erie street, Chicago, Illinois. (G. C1u.)