764 MIDLAND COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
checking or eradicating them, the dawn of which has assuredly commenced ? 
Looking back no further than ten years, it is impossible to select three 
(1863, 1864, and 1869) in which the total number of deaths from scarlet 
fever alone amounted to ninety thousand. That is the return of the killed, 
the maimed and disabled being left out of sight. Why, it is to be hoped 
that the list of killed in the present bloodiest of all wars will not amount to 
more than this. But the facts, which 1 have placed before you, must leave 
the least sanguine without a doubt that the nature and the causes of this 
scourge will, one day, be as well understood as those of the Pebrine 
are now ; and that the long-suffered massacre of our innocents will come to 
an end. And thus mankind will have one more admonition that “ the people 
perish for lack of knowledge and that the alleviation of the miseries and 
the promotion of the welfare of men must be sought by those who will not 
lose, their pains in that diligent, patient, loving study of all the multitudinous 
aspects of Nature, the result of which constitute exact knowledge or science. 
It is the justification and the glory of this great meeting that it is gathered 
together for no other object than the advancement of the moiety of science 
which deals with those phenomena of nature which we call physical. May 
its endeavours be crowned with a full measure of success ! 
MIDLAND COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL 
ASSOCIATION. 
The fifth annual meeting of this Association was held at the 
Queen’s Hotel, Burton-on-Trent, on Tuesday, July 19th. There 
were present, Mr. H. Pyatt, of Nottingham, the President, Messrs. 
Carless, Rossell, and Garrard, Vice-Presidents, and the following 
members : — H. King, W. C. Ison, T. Cave, Ed. Bailey, sen., G. 
Poyser, F. Blakeway, W. P. Toll, J. Markham, Alf. Proctor, G, 
Cowlishaw, T. Greaves, Hon. Associate, and the Secretary. 
The ordinary business of the meeting having been concluded, 
the President delivered an Introductory Address to the following 
effect : — 
Gentlemen of the Midland Counties Veterinary Medical 
Association, — In addressing you to-day, permit me to thank you for 
having elected me your president for the ensuing year. I reluctantly 
accepted the office, feeling consciqus there were many members who 
would more efficiently fulfil the duties of the situation ; but at the 
same time allow me to say, that in anxiety for the promotion of 
this Association, and for the elevation of our profession, I give 
place to none; and I assure you that I will endeavour to the best 
of my ability to further the interests thereof. 
At the present time the subject of education occupies the minds 
of the majority of persons in this country ; and from the government 
