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THE VETERINARIAN AS A MEMBER OF SOCIETY. 175 
ally injures, to a greater or less extent, the welfare of mankind. 
Not only are such diseases formidable by the damage they in¬ 
flict, but some of them are most serious from the pernicious influ¬ 
ence which they may exercise on the public health, either by 
their transmission to mankind by contact or accidental inocula¬ 
tion, or by the use of the flesh or products of the diseased ani¬ 
mals as food. Some of the most dreadful and fatal maladies are 
thus occasioned. 
And now a word concerning the duties and responsibilities of 
the authorities may not be amiss. 
The State, municipal and county authorities should constitute, 
collectively, an unceasingly vigilant guardianship over the inter¬ 
ests of the community ; and viewing their important functions 
in this light, one of their duties, and on occasions one of great 
moment, is that of protecting it from the ravages of contagious 
diseases. 
When a disease appears in a county, their dut}^ is to act de¬ 
cisively and adopt all necessary sanitary measures to prevent its 
invading their own localities; or, if it has already done so, to 
limit or arrest its course and diminish its ravages to the smallest 
possible dimensions. Their responsibilities are therefore great in 
proportion as a disease is destructive and dangerous. They 
should see to it that the measures adopted are uniformly applied 
with regard to sanitary action, so as to obviate the discreditable, 
vexatious and injurious results that must arise from disjointed 
action—extreme rigor in one county, the grossest carelessness 
and laxity in another. Yet a certain latitude must be allowed to 
meet the exigencies of particular cases and emergencies ; but this 
latitude imposes on the local authorities responsibilities which 
may become very heavy at times. 
When officially informed of the existence or the apprehended 
invasion of a contagious malady, their duties are twofold : those 
of a general kind and in the interests of the community, and 
those of a particular character and having special reference to 
the interests of individuals—the owners of animals. 
The duties of the veterinary surgeon during the existence of 
a contagious disease are very important, and his responsibility 
