294 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
Dr. Winchester suggested that the by-law requiring a thesis from candidates 
for membership be rendered inoperative for three menths. It was found that in 
order to do this the constitution would have to be amended. Dr. Winchester 
thereupon withdrew his suggestion. 
Motion made by Dr. Winchester that the Secretary notify all veterinary 
graduates in Massachusetts of the existance of the Association and invite them 
to join. Seconded by Dr. Winslow. Carried. 
Moved by Dr, Winchester, that two hundred copies of the constitution be 
printed. Seconded by Dr. Winslow. Carried. 
Papers and discussions : Dr. Billings was called upon by the President to 
address the Association. Dr. Billings delivered an address, a synopsis of which 
is given as follows: 
He prefaced his remarks by saying that he felt he was among his friends, and 
that he would have renounced his title of veterinarian long ago if it were not 
for the fact that he was a member of the Massachusetts Veterinary Association. 
He then spoke briefly of Clark University, at Worcester, and said that some of 
liis friends there would be happy to make a scientific investigation of the spinal 
cords of the horse which Dr. Howard had sent to Ward’s Wharf for the members 
of the Association to examine, the animal having an exaggerated form of 
springhalt. 
He then proceeded with the main topic of his discourse, saying that the 
Massachusetts Veterinary Association must do all in its power to push the pro¬ 
fession forward in this State. If we put our shoulders to the wheel, he thinks 
we can accomplish a great deal for the advancement of our profession. One 
way to do this was to secure provision from the next Legislature to appoint a 
scientific veterinarian, at the State Experiment Station at Amherst, for the in¬ 
vestigation of the infectious animal diseases. He thought that the State ought to 
be willing to appropriate $15,000 for this work. What we want to do is to start 
this work at Amherst, and show the people that the veterinary profession amounts 
to something. In Massachusetts we may not have exactly the same conditions 
as in the West, but we have work here to do, if we can only get a start, and 
make a centre at Amherst, with the profession back of it. If we only had a place 
in Masachusetts where we could refer our doubtful pathological questions, it 
would help advance our profession more than anything else. What we want is 
to have our profession send in a strong petition to the Legislature to get a place 
established, a place where we can put our best man, and out of which good path¬ 
ological work can come. 
After Dr. Billings closed his remarks, the following discussion ensued : 
Dr. Lee thought that one way to form a veterinary centre might be to raise 
funds to pay the expenses of a farm, to which we might send our surgical cases, 
or surgical cases which the owners did not care to see through to the end; the 
members of the Association to send the cases and render their services free. 
Dr. Winchester thought that Dr. Billings had struck the right keynote in 
speaking of Amherst. He also referred to Dr. Goessmann’s work on feeding ex- 
perimeuts with animals, and said he had obtained results that would astonish 
the world when he was ready to publish them. Dr. Paige is a good man, 
although without the special training required by a scientist. Dr. Humphrey 
