ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY 



MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 



E. V. Wilcox, Ph D., 



Offkeof Experiment Sit/lion*. 



The forty-first meeting of this association was held in St. Louis 

 August 16-19, 1904. The attendance was larger than at any other 

 meeting in the history of the association, and the interest manifested 

 in the discussion of papers was very gratifying. 



On the first da} 7 the usual order of business was observed, beginning 

 with an address of welcome by a representative of the Chamber of 

 Commerce of St. Louis, followed by a response by W. II. Dalrymple, 

 the reports of committees and outgoing officers, as well as of State 

 secretaries, and closing with the election of the following officers for 

 1901-5: President, M. E. Knowles; vice-presidents, J. G. Rutherford, 

 E. M. Ranck, G. W. Dunphy, G. R. Young, R. P. Lyman; secretary, 

 J. J. Repp; treasurer, W. H. Lowe. 



The presidential address by R. R. Bell contained a discussion of the 

 present status of the veterinary profession. The speaker called atten- 

 tion to the observed fact that veterinarians at present receive more 

 respect from their clients and from the world at large than ever before. 

 This condition is apparently due to improvement in the character and 

 qualifications of the veterinarians themselves. The horse is also valued 

 more highly than ever, despite the popularity of automobiles, and 

 higher prices are willingly paid for professional services in keeping 

 the horse in health. Veterinarians exercise a great influence in the 

 prevention of animal plagues, particularly those which are common to 

 animals and man. 



Reviewing the history of veterinary schools and institutions, the 

 speaker urged that diplomas should be standardized so as to have a 

 more uniform value. To this end he recommended the reestablishment 

 of the association of veterinary faculties in cooperation with the asso- 

 ciation of veterinary medicine. 



The committee on intelligence and education, E. B. Ackernian, chair- 

 man, reported that veterinary catalogues had been collected and a long- 

 list of questions relative to veterinary courses addressed to twenty 

 veterinary colleges. Detailed comments were made on each of these 

 institutions, and suggestions were made regarding needed improve- 

 ments in their courses of instruction. In many institutions the courses 

 were considered very defective, and. the institutions themselves were 

 severely criticised. 



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