EDITORIAL. 
487 
Bat'who, on such a point as this, can tell, in this age of political 
pulls and influences and legislative manipulations, what its end is 
likely to be ? The appeal presented to the Legislature in its be¬ 
half by the Committee is very interesting in its statement and 
specifications of the value of the claims of the profession, the 
census of domestic animals in Pennsylvania, with the wealth they 
represent, and the danger with which human life is beset by the 
prevalence of contagious diseases amongst cattle and stock ani¬ 
mals. The facts are well brought together, which show by im¬ 
plication the value of the public services rendered by the veteri¬ 
narian, and the obligation resting upon the law-making power 
to furnish adequate legal protection to the veterinarian profes¬ 
sion in the exercise of their functions. An extract of the appeal 
says: 
A momentary glance at the subjoined figures must forcibly impress you as 
to the important position our State holds in its live stock interests, all of which 
come under our protecting and fostering care, and must largely be a source of 
greater or lesser wealth from a physical as well as monetary standpoint to every 
inhabitant of our Commonwealth. 
In Horses we have 700,000 with a value of $70,000,000 
25,000,000 
16,000,000 
7,000,000 
3,750,000 
3,000,000 
“ Cows 
“ Cattle 
“ Swine 
“ Sheep 
“ Mules 
i i 
< < 
< C 
960,000 
700,000 
900,000 
1,250,000 
30,000 
Representing as a grand total a source of true wealth almost reaching the 
vast sum of $125,000,000. 
Surely if only this constituted our appeal, it would be all-sufficient to com¬ 
mend for it your earnest consideration, but it is a single point at stake, for to 
the veterinarian, as the truest sanitarian, must soon be commended the preserva¬ 
tion of the health and the increased longevity of our people. The appalling rav¬ 
ages committed to-day among our people by the insidious disease Tuberculosis, 
entailing an annual loss of 50,000 human beings, fully fifty per cent, of whom re¬ 
ceive the germs of the disease through the ingestion of meat and milk of tuber¬ 
cular animals, must be a startling fact to your minds. And worst of all, this dis¬ 
ease, to a large extent, is the result of foreign importation of improved herds of 
cattle, which come to our shores without the first rudiment of an inspection or 
vestige of sanitary police law, to limit these calamitous results. All this arises 
from the sluggishness of our people in failing to recognize the sore need of an ad¬ 
vancement in the veterinary profession, the most flagrantly neglected calling of 
all the professions in America to-day. 
Cruelty to Animals. —Dr. W. S. Williams of Bloomington, 
