Section K. 



SUBSECTION-VETERINARY SCIENCE. 



ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT : 



PROFESSOR J. DOUGLAS STEWART, F.R.C.V.S. 



{Professor of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney). 



It will be remembered that at the last meeting of the asso- 

 ciation, held at Sydney in 1911, representation was made to the 

 committee as to the desirability of forming a separate section 

 for Veterinary Science, it being considered the number and im- 

 portance of the papers submitted in this subject justified specific 

 recognition. The matter was subsequently brought forward at 

 the meeting of the general council of the association, and after 

 some discussion, during which it was pointed out that the subject 

 of Agriculture had only recently been raised to the rank of a 

 section, it was decided to recommend that the subject of Veterinary 

 Science be a sub-section of Agriculture. This recommendation 

 has been adopted, and while not so full as we desired, the recogni- 

 tion accorded us, must prove a source of gratification to our 

 members, and to the general council our thanks are due. Per-~ 

 sonally I desire to express my full appreciation of the honour of 

 being president of the first meeting of the Veterinary Science Sub- 

 section. It now remains for us to substantiate our claims for 

 additional recognition by the success of our conferejice and the 

 assistance we give the association in the furtherance of its 

 objects. 



The recognition of Veterinary Science by the largest scientific 

 organization in Australasia, even as a Sub-section, has a wide 

 significance to us as a profession, and may be regarded as another 

 mile-stone passed along the road of progress. The time is, there- 

 fore, opportune to briefly review our position. 



To the pioneers of our profession we owe much. Fifty years 

 ago the position of the disciples of Veterinary Science in Aus- 

 tralasia was by no means an enviable one. In concrete terms it 

 was financially bad and socially unsatisfactory. As it is under- 

 stood that Dr. Kendall will refer in a paper to be read at a 

 later stage to the many difficulties the early practitioners had to 

 contend with, I propose to review more particularly our progress 

 in connexion with State veterinary service, and the advancement 

 made in our training as scientists. 



