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which the Veterinary Department should belong. Both 

 the Medical and Veterinary Departments were originally a 

 branch of the Privy Council ; eventually they were cut off 

 from this, the Medical passing to the Local Government 

 Board, while the Veterinary passed to the Board of 

 Agriculture. 



Public expert departments are not of much use unless 

 their views can reach the Cabinet, and the Minister of 

 Agriculture was a convenient mouthpiece for conveying to 

 the Government the best advice on the matter of contagious 

 and infectious animal diseases. Unfortunately, however, 

 the Agricultural Department took charge of its Veterinary 

 Section, filled important posts with laymen, accepted or 

 refused expert advice as it thought fit, has ventured to 

 instruct the profession on matters of pathology, and to 

 show the extent to which lay control is prepared to go, 

 furnishes an Annual Eeport on Animal Diseases to Parlia- 

 ment ! 



All this might be regarded with some show of toleration, 

 if the control of those diseases specially vested in their 

 hands was carried out in an effective manner, or if they 

 intelligently employed the immense powers placed in their 

 hands by Act of Parliament. But throughout their object 

 has been to throw upon the Local Authorities work which 

 should be centralized, and when compelled to take it up 

 themselves, have employed laymen to carry out some of its 

 most important and technical features. 



It is perfectly certain if the country is to receive the full 

 benefit of the veterinary advice which is available, the 

 Agricultural Department in its relation to Veterinary State 

 Medicuie must either undergo a profound modification, or 

 the Veterinary Service must be transferred elsewhere and a 

 fresh Ministerial mouthpiece found. 



It has been suggested to establish a Central Board of 

 Health, having a Medical and Veterinary side, with a 

 Minister of Public Health responsible to the country. We 

 are decidedly in favour of such a scheme. A Central Board 

 of Health is by no means a new idea; one came into 



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