410 THE MEANS OF PREVENTION. 



practice of the metropolitan practitioner, it also affects the provincial 

 veterinary surgeon, as subscribers are all over the country, and avail 

 themselves of the degraclingly cheap services offered by the school. 



" It is impossible for any one who cares for the reputation and 

 advancement of veterinary medicine in this country, and the de- 

 served prosperity of its practitioners, not to sympathize with the 

 movement which has been begun, even at this late period. 



" The cheap subscription system has been the curse of our science, 

 and its malignant influence can be traced through long years and in 

 many directions. It is unprofessional, in every sense of the term, 

 is derogatory and damaging to veterinary medicine, most injurious 

 to metropolitan and suburban practitioners — its own alumni — in 

 every way disadvantageous to the students, and a discredit to the 

 governors of the school and the country. Had the profession not 

 been for so many years blind to its own best interest, surely the 

 action [for reform] now commenced would have been begun long 

 ago." 



When the above was written I did not know that a striking ex- 

 ample of the injurious effects of this subscriptio?i plan would be so 

 soon offered to public consideration. The following letter needs no 

 further comments on my part : 



Harvard Veterinary School. — An Open Letter. 



To the President and Overseers of Harvard College. 



Gentlemen : A question which has been and still is troubling 

 the minds of the thinking members of the veterinary profession is, 

 " What purpose had Harvard in establishing a Veterinary Depart- 

 ment in connection with the Medical School f " Was it to educate 

 young men to become creditable members of a profession which 

 should rank as high as human medicine in the public mind, or was 

 it to run an animal hospital on a strictly business basis ? 



The first sermon that I have any remembrance of listening to 

 was by that most eminent preacher, Dr. Bartol. I probably remem- 

 ber it on account of the striking nature of the text, which was, 

 " 'Twon't pay." Now, sermonizing is not exactly my forte ; never- 

 theless, I am going to try and show you that you have started upon 

 a course that " won't pay " in the establishment of your veterinary 

 school. 



" 'Twon't pay " for you as the head of the leading educational 

 institution of our State to establish any new branch of education 

 upon anything but the best possible foundation. You would not 

 be American if you endeavored to open this department on any- 



