The Fourth International Congress of Peritoneal Dialysis was held in Venice, Italy, June 29 to July 2, 1987. By this time peritoneal dialysis had emerged as a treatment for a substantial fraction of patients with end-stage renal disease and countless numbers of patients with acute renal failure. This treatment is now practiced worldwide and is the life-sustaining treatment for about 40,000 patients with chronic renal failure, representing 15 to 20% of dialysis therapy in about 1000 centers. It is not surprising, therefore, that the number of health professionals engaged in the investigation and the application of the treatment has also grown exponen­ tially. The First International Symposium on Peritoneal Dialysis, organized by Dr. A. Treviiio-Be­ cerra in Chapala, Mexico, in 1978, brought together a group of pioneers when continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis was in its infancy. In 1981, Dr. G. M. Gahl chaired the Second Symposium, in West Berlin, when the technique and professional interest were growing con­ siderably. By 1984, when Dr. 1. F. Winchester and I organized the Third Symposium, the pre­ sented papers exceeded 100 and there were about 1000 attendees. At that time, it was deemed appropriate to form a more organized group and the International Society for Peritoneal Dialy­ sis was founded. One of the first actions of the Society was to choose from among several applicants Dr.