6o 
E. P. NILES. 
the veterinarian was almost unknown in the United States, and 
consequently had no standing politically or legally or socially. 
Why the veterinarian has not enjoyed the same standing in 
every respect that his close relative, the physician, has, is simply 
because the proper definition has not been applied to the term 
veterinarian by the masses of people. The true veterinarian re¬ 
ceived, and does yet, to a certain extent, a “ hard name ” the 
moment he entered college, which requires years of trials and 
tribulations to live down. 
The question naturally arises : What is a proper definition 
for the word veterinarian ? Webster gives as a definition for 
the word, “ One skilled in the diseases of cattle or domestic 
animals.” I would say a veterinarian is one who is proficient in 
all subjects pertaining to veterinary science and has completed 
the prescribed course in a regularly organized veterinary college. 
Such men will command the same respect that is due any pro¬ 
fessional man ; and I may add that such men are rapidly taking 
the place of the ancient “ horse doctor,” whose character had 
been in the main such as to give to the veterinarian the unjust 
reputation which has been so hard to live down, and which, to 
a great extent, still exists. The question may be asked, What 
bearing does the “ horse doctor ” have on the veterinarian ? 
Simply this : By the majority of people we were, and are yet, to 
a great extent classed as horse doctors. It is almost an every¬ 
day occurrence for the veterinary practitioner to be addressed 
with : “"Are you the horse doctor ? ” or “ cow doctor ” by some 
ignorant party. The time is now at hand when the veterinarian 
should command respect from all classes of people, for he is 
rapidly placing himself in a position to be classed among the 
public benefactors, in the way of suppressing and controlling 
contagious diseases among the lower animals, and indirectly 
among the human family. The hearty co-operation of the 
physician, however, is needed in this work, and, I am happy to 
say, our cousins are not slow to lend us their aid. I believe 
that the day is not far distant when the two professions will 
march hand in hand against the dreaded contagious diseases, 
