EDITORIAL. 
97 
“it is a condition and not a theory.” A study of the situation 
will not fail to give the proper explanation of the causes of the 
backward condition of the profession in that State. It lies in 
the State Association, which is far from the influential and pow¬ 
erful body of veterinarians that it should be. It cannot be truth¬ 
fully said that the State lacks energetic, loyal, and enthusiastic 
members of the profession, nor that these men have not worked 
hard for the interests of the whole profession ; but the associa¬ 
tion is not supported by the great body of veterinarians who 
compose the profession in the State. We observe by the mem¬ 
bership-roll that but a small percentage of the veterinarians of 
Chicago belong to the association ; that while the names of 
three graduated men are upon the pay-roll of the Chicago Police 
Department, not one is upon the list of members of the State 
society ; that of all those located at the Union Stock Yards con¬ 
nected with the Bureau of Animal Industry, not one takes any 
interest in the association, and so on in the majority of the ram¬ 
ifications of the profession in the State. The membership of 
the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association is less than a 
single hundred, while the Chicago directory gives the names of 
one hundred and twenty-nine practitioners in that city alone, 
and in the whole State this number may be multiplied by five 
at least. And yet there are less than one hundred members. 
There is evidently lack of energy, lack of enthusiasm, and there 
is in consequence lack of legislation. 
It is the desire of the State Society, as we are informed by 
its talented Secretary, Albert Babb, of Springfield, to introduce 
a bill at the next session of the legislature to bring about the 
tardy justice to which the extent and standing of the profession 
of that commonwealth entitles it, and he makes an earnest ap¬ 
peal that this time it shall be successful. Three previous bills 
have been presented to the legislature at the instigation of the 
society, and were nobly supported by many of its members, 
among whom were Williams, Shephard, Case well, Withers, 
Hughes, Baker, Trumbower, Wilson, and others; but there was 
in every instance a lack of support from the rank and file. The 
