EDITORIAL. 
247 
humanitarian. As a rule he is a lover of animals, and by in¬ 
stinct and education understands better their wants and needs 
than those who deal with them only in theory. He does not 
believe in mere pity and mercy in dealing with our domestic 
animals, but he acknowledges that they have certain rights, 
some of which he is daily enforcing in the exercise of his profes¬ 
sion. One of these rights, which our domestic animals may 
justly claim from our hands, is the earnest and intelligent study 
of the ailments which nature has inflicted upon them, and civil¬ 
ization aggravated. This cannot be done at our present state of 
scientific knowledge without subjecting a few of them to certain 
tests for the benefit of the millions that are living and the untold 
numbers that are to come. Such tests, such investigations, we 
must look upon as our duty towards our profession, towards our 
domestic animals, and towards God, who has naturally charged 
us with their care and protection against ignorance and intoler¬ 
ance from whatever source it may come. 
It is hardly to be expected that such a bill will be passed by 
an intelligent body of men. But, whatever may be its fate, it is 
certain to have an important bearing upon our future professional 
development. We must study more closely the claims of those 
who think it their privilege to infringe upon the rights of work 
and study of their fellow men, we must approve of just claims 
and show the fallacy of unjust fears, and all this in an intelligent 
and conservative manner, and commensurate with the dignity 
of our science. O. S. 
Tuberculosis, Acquired and Hereditary.— The conten¬ 
tion of the modern school of veterinarians that tuberculosis of 
cattle is more frequently acquired' than inherited, was strikingly 
exemplified in a series of interesting experiments recently held 
at the Iowa Kxperiment Station, where a number of calves born 
of phthisical mothers and fed exclusively upon milk from heal¬ 
thy cows remained free from the disease, while the offspring of 
healthy mothers fed exclusively upon milk of consumptive ani¬ 
mals contracted the disease. If these experiments can be repeated, 
