378 THE MEANS OF PREVENTION. 



of our present American veterinary colleges being equal to that, 

 while they are utterly incapable of doing the higher state-work — 

 i. e.j making researches into the causes and nature of disease. This 

 is no reflection upon them personally. It is upon conditions which 

 do not give men desiring them suitable opportunities for acquiring 

 an education which would fit them for this work. At present, how- 

 ever, we have to do with the question of a national code of veteri- 

 nary police laws. This word " national " is a peculiar bugbear to 

 many people in this country, who can not rise above party affilia- 

 tions or sectional jealousy. Ifatioyial does mean centralization — 

 nothing else. The question to be considered — and in politics it is a 

 truly scientific one — is, how much centralization is necessary for the 

 good of the whole country, and how much individuality can be al- 

 lowed the respective States, without their interfering with the rights 

 of each other. We have in this country a singular phenomenon. We 

 have multiplied the sacred rights of the individual to such a degree 

 that the masses have scarcely any rights left. We are continually 

 in fear of trampling upon the rights of the individual. In doing 

 this, we forget that the masses have still greater rights. IS'o indi- 

 vidual has any right to pursue a course or suffer considerations 

 which endanger the property or interfere with the rights of the 

 masses. Unfortunately, instead of " the masses," we act as if one 

 individual is alone to be considered. It is this "right of the British 

 freeman " which has been the chief obstacle to the suppression of 

 contagious animal diseases in Britain. I do not think our American 

 citizens are such obstinate and ignorant sticklers for their individual 

 rights as Englishmen. In conversing with a number of intelligent 

 farmers in the vicinity of Boston, where pleuro-pneumonia had pre- 

 vailed in times past, I found that they were mostly entirely unac- 

 quainted with the true purposes of the laws for the suppression of 

 this disease. As is well known, Massachusetts deported herself 

 most energetically and creditably at this time, successfully extermi- 

 nating the disease, and keeping it from her borders ever since. 

 These farmers seemed, however, to have the idea that they, or their 

 neighbors, or town, had been most unjustly treated. They had 

 never gained the idea that, by slaughtering all the cattle of a few 

 owners, those of the majority were saved, and the town spared a 

 much greater loss. The rights of the individual are as nothing 

 when those of the masses are endangered ; yet it is the duty of the 

 latter to amply remunerate the former for the loss they have caused 

 him to incur for their 2>i'otection. This is the sole and only prin- 

 ciple which should guide legislators in drafting laws. Especially is 



