CORRESPONDENCE. 
584 
AN EASTERN VETERINARIAN’S ESTIMATE OF CALIFORNIA 
QUACKERY. 
(Paragraph from a private letter.) 
This section of the country is rank with what is called the 
old-time horse doctor, otherwise known as the quack, each with 
his own specific for lung fever, etc.; and, though they have lost 
a great many cases, it is strange the amount of confidence the 
public still retain in them. I met one the other day who did not 
believe in the administration of internal medicines, but is ac¬ 
customed to slapping on a blister, with the remark that he has 
had twenty-four years’ experience in the business, and if this 
does not do he don’t know what will. Yet the man has a yearly 
contract with an ice company manufacturing artificial ice, and 
they have twenty-six fine horses in the stable under his care, 
besides the rest of his practice in that section of the city. 
Besides this man, I have met a fellow claiming to be a spec¬ 
ialist on castration—claiming to be the best in the United States, 
and a more slovenly, dirty farm-hand it would be almost impos¬ 
sible to meet. The woods here are full of just these kind of 
men, and yet a board of examiners, consisting of graduated 
veterinarians, appointed by the state, allow these men to pass a 
bogus examination, and to go forth with a state certificate, fully- 
licensed to practice veterinary surgery and medicine. They can 
talk of their societies, and the promotion of harmony in a pro¬ 
fession, but where could there be harmony, or friendly discussion, 
where one-half the members would not understand what the 
other half were saying ? 
I merely write this to give you some idea of the situation of 
things in the far west, and also some of the men I have to con¬ 
tend with. I think this place is at least twenty-five years 
behind the age in this profession, and no doubt it will take some 
time before the public will be able to discriminate between the 
old horse doctor and the modern veterinary surgeon ; still, time 
will tell. 
