AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 123 



The secretary, J. J. Repp, in his report stated that the resident 

 secretaries had devoted an unusual amount of time to securing addi- 

 tional members to the association and improving the programme of the 

 annual meetings. The plan of assigning- the opening of the discussion 

 of each paper to two members was adopted for the purpose of stimu- 

 lating the discussion and awakening a wider interest in the papers. 

 It was recommended that the executive committee at each meeting 

 name certain subjects to be discussed at the next annual meeting. 



A number of State secretaries made reports regarding the veteri- 

 nary conditions in different parts of the country. In these reports 

 mention was made of progress in State laws for the control of animal 

 diseases, laws regulating veterinary practice, veterinary education. 

 the general health of animals, and the most noteworthy animal diseases 

 during the year. Among the latter were verminous bronchitis in 

 calves in California, glanders in Florida and Kansas, influenza in Ken- 

 tucky, rabies in Michigan, forage poisoning in Mississippi, cattle 

 mange in Nebraska, and Texas fever in Tennessee. In Arizona the 

 presence of swamp fever was noted in one valley. This disease is 

 believed to be identical with that observed in Minnesota and Manitoba. 

 In Montana a disease of sheep known as crusta labialis has been 

 observed in various counties. Experiments in immunizing cattle 

 against tuberculosis have been continued in Pennsylvania, 100 animals 

 being used for this purpose. The results thus far obtained are very 

 promising, and a State commission composed of 18 men has been 

 appointed for the purpose of making a further investigation of this 

 problem. 



Dr. K. Tsuno, veterinary representative of the Japanese Empire, 

 was present at all the sessions and presented a report on animal dis- 

 eases and quarantine laws in Japan. So-called farcy of horses pre- 

 vails to a considerable extent in that country, and infected animals 

 do not react to mallein. The speaker recommended that the disease be 

 preferably called false farcy. Before foreign animals were allowed 

 to enter Japan there was no rabies, farcy, or other serious contagious 

 disease among Japanese native animals. Foot-and-mouth disease was 

 introduced from the Asiatic continent, and cattle plague from Korea 

 in 1892. Sanitary measures and quarantine laws have recently been 

 passed, but until 1897 these laws were not well calculated to prevent 

 the introduction of serious diseases. Tuberculosis is not known in 

 native Japanese cattle. When introduced by foreign cattle it has been 

 found to yield to the Bang method of prevention. 



L. A. Merillat presented a paper on When to Operate. Attention 



was called to the desirability of papers on veterinary surgery, to be 



presented before the annual meetings of the association. The dangers 



of hasty operation were outlined, and the value of surgery was held 



8405— No. 2—04 2 



