THE VETERINARY PROFESSION. 
ill 
and then, turning to the future, ask what are their prospects and 
possibilities, and what need they do to attain and secure them? 
Meeting here to-day as the representatives of our profession 
in Illinois, what question can we consider which is of more im¬ 
portance to the public or ourselves than our present standing, the 
influences which have brought it about, and our future outlook ? 
What, then, are the forces which have operated upon our pro¬ 
fession in the past, and what, then, the present result of those 
influences ? 
It is unnecessary and impossible in this paper to insert a his¬ 
tory of the veterinary profession in America, but we do need to 
trace the general outlines of this history in so far as is necessary 
to the elucidation of our subject. As nearly as we can determine, 
veterinary science was practically unknown in America until sixty 
years ago, the health and life of domestic animals being intrusted to 
the care of the blacksmith, horse trainer or stable groom, but 
about this time the increasing value of our live-stock presented a 
possible held for usefulness and reward to a few of the educated 
veterinarians of the old world, and so we note from this time, the 
occasional migration to the cities of America of learned veterin¬ 
arians from Europe, mostly from the British Isles. 
Sere the worthy ones, by demonstrating their superiority over 
the village blacksmith and stable groom, in the management of 
animal diseases, won- an honorable and remunerative patronage, 
and the title of veterinary surgeon began to be known and under¬ 
stood in some of our eastern cities. 
But while these few scientific men were establishing themselves, 
their success gave increased virility to empiricism, that most per¬ 
nicious influence, which spread its baneful work over the entire 
continent and still holds a firm and destructive sway in nearly 
every if not every, part of America. 
No sooner had the veterinary surgeon attained an honorable 
standing and lucrative patronage, than many of the ignorant, 
drunken, depraved horse traders and livery stable hangers-on, 
whose chief capital was reckless presumption and dishonesty, ever 
anxious to obtain a dollar, regardless of the means, conceived the 
idea of constituting themselves veterinary surgeons, and according¬ 
ly announced their suddenly assumed title of veterinary surgeon 
