520 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
Dr. W. H. Hoskins, essayist, read the following paper : 
Mr. President and Gentlemen : 
I come before you to-night with a double apology ; the first 
one is, that I should be called so soon again after leaving the 
chair as your presiding officer to address you on the topics of the 
day; and in the second place, that these remarks should come to 
you in such an incomplete manner. For this I can only say that 
but three days’ notice was given me in which to prepare a brief 
review of the questions that interest you in the veterinary world ; 
and if I can but win your attention for a few minutes I will feel 
gratified in so doing and rejoice that our meeting has not been 
fruitless of some good. My reasons for the acceptance of this 
duty were wholly those of a sense of responsibility as a member 
in endeavoring to have your new officers successfully carry on the 
work of this Association during the coming winter, and in so 
doing to fulfill whatever task or duty that you may allot to me 
as a member; and in so far as it can be accomplished I shall con¬ 
sider it my duty to comply with your requests. 
I have chosen the above outline of my subject because at the 
beginning of another year’s work it seems to be such a one as 
may furnish us with thought and work during this coming winter. 
The many sudden and broad changes that have characterized the 
doings in the world of veterinary science during the past year 
seem to demand at our hands stronger cousideration, stronger 
work. It affords us an incentive that will bring to us at the end 
of our work a rich return, when we have properly considered and 
disposed of the great questions of importance that are knocking 
at our doors for aid in their final disposition. It also points 
strongly to the need of stronger veterinary organizations. The 
national one must soon tend in directions and lines that will lift it 
entirely from the consideration of those topics which are more or 
less local in character. 
It is a strong incentive to State organizations to become more 
aggressive and to be better informed upon those topics which are 
of grave interest to their perpetuation and success as a profession 
and a science, It commends the development of stronger local 
