VETCH 



GU74 



VETO 



laneura and Pompeii were destroyed. Since the 

 79 eruptions of more or less violence have 

 taken place at varying intervals. In 472 ashes 

 poured from the crater in such quantities that 

 they were carried as far as Constantinople. 

 Streams of lava and boiling water fell upon the 

 villages at the foot of the mountain in a violent 

 outburst, in the year 1631, and there were de- 

 structive eruptions in 1794, 1822, 1855 and 1872. 

 The greatest loss of life within recent years oc- 

 curred in 1906, when several towns and villages 

 in the vicinity were destroyed. 



Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the 

 continent of Europe. As it is in a state of 

 constant activity and easy of access, it has been 

 studied by scientists more than any other vol- 

 cano, and upon its slopes an observatory has 

 been erected. Upon these studies many of the 

 theories concerning volcanic activity are 

 founded. 



Consult Shaler's Aspects of the Earth; La- 

 croix's Eruption of Vesuvius. 



Related Subjects. The reader is referred to 

 the following articles in these volumes : 

 Herculaneum Pompeii 



Naples Volcano 



VETCH, a group of climbing herbs native to 

 Europe, Western Asia, Northern Africa and 

 America, and cultivated since early Roman 

 times as a forage plant. In the United States 

 the best species for forage purposes is the hairy 

 vetch, which yields from two to four tons of 

 hay per acre; but in Europe, spring vetch, or 

 tare, is most commonly raised. The plarn^ has 

 compound leaves composed of twenty or thirty 

 oval leaflets, and bears clusters of bluish-pink 

 or purple flowers. 



VETERINARY, vet'erinari, MED'ICINE, 

 that branch of medical science which deals with 

 the nature, causes and treatment of diseases of 

 domestic animals, especially of horses and cat- 

 tle. The veterinarian must possess a thorough 

 knowledge of the anatomy of domestic animals, 

 and must be familiar with their habits and 

 know the conditions necessary to keep them in 

 a state of health. To this knowledge must be 

 added that of the various diseases to which the 

 animals are subject and the best methods of 

 treating them. He must also be a keen ob- 

 server, for he must judge of the animal's condi- 

 tion from observation alone. 



Veterinary medicine is closely related to hu- 

 man medicine, and in its development has kept 

 pace with the chief branch of medical science. 

 In all states veterinarians are required to pos- 

 sess a diploma showing their graduation from a 



veterinary college of recognized standing, or to 

 pass a rigid examination before they are al- 

 lowed to practice. Schools of veterinary medi- 

 cine are maintained in most of the state agri- 

 cultural colleges and in a number of the leading 

 universities. 



In Canada the Department of Agriculture 

 maintains a fully-equipped veterinary service 

 for the inspection of live stock, milk and meat. 

 The United States Veterinary Medical Associa- 

 tion has been very influential in raising the 

 standard of the science in the United States. 



One of the most valuable services rendered 

 by veterinary science consists of the study and 

 prevention of infectious diseases, such as an- 

 thrax, foot and mouth disease and rinderpest. 

 (Each of these is described in these volumes 

 under its title.) The United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and state authorities also 

 aid in this work, and include in it the inspec- 

 tion of milk and 'meats. The Department of 

 Agriculture, through the Bureau of Animal In- 

 dustry, issues bulletins on the most damaging 

 diseases of domestic animals, and these may 

 be procured by writing for them. See DISEASE, 

 subtitle Diseases of Animals. W.F.R. 



Consult Schmidt's The Veterinary Adviser. 



VE'TO, from the Latin veto, meaning / jor- 

 bid, is the power given to the chief executive 

 of a country, state, province or city, to nega- 

 tive either temporarily or permanently any law 

 passed by its legislative department. The veto 

 may be either absolute, from which there can 

 be no appeal, or limited; in the latter case ihe 

 body which originally passed the law may later 

 declare it effective, regardless of executive dis- 

 approval. 



The veto is not known to all governments. 

 In England the veto of the ruler is absolute, 

 but no king or queen of Great Britain has ex- 

 ercised this power since 1708. In France the 

 veto simply suspends a law until it may be re- 

 passed in the legislature by an ordinary ma- 

 jority. In the United States the veto of the 

 President is limited, as his objections may l>e 

 overruled by a later vote of the Congress. 



No law of the United States can become ef- 

 fective until signed by the President, or held 

 by him ten days without action, unless it be 

 passed again by Congress over his veto. In 

 vetoing a bill the President merely returns it 

 without his approval to the house in which the 

 bill originated; the written statement of his 

 reason for withholding approval is the veto. 



if the two houses of Congress believe that 

 the President's position is unwise they may 



