Editorial. 
335 
l)oon generated among those who should rather become brother 
scientists than disputatious antagonists cannot prove otherwise 
than detrimental to the interests they are all presumably anxious 
to promote. For if the views of each are discredited by a rival, 
why may not the entire sum of their theories and experiments be 
discredited by some third objecting party ? Such a reflection 
naturally arises from a view of the discrepancies noticeable in the 
published views of some of the most able and eminent observers 
in veterinary science on this side of the Atlantic, in reference, 
most especially, to the etiology of hog cholera. 
We have made room, quite as liberally as the limitations of 
our space will allow, to such communications on this subject as we 
have been able to obtain from the pens of Dr. Billings and Dr. 
Salmon, and the long series of articles contributed by these gen¬ 
tlemen must now be familiar to our readers. Though they are 
indefatigable investigators, they have still, so far as we have been 
able to gather from the writings of Dr. Billings, quite failed to 
agree upon the point of the true origin of that disease; if, indeed, 
their disagreement be not rather upon the question of priority of 
discovery. Dr. Billings, while giving due credit to Dr. Detmers, 
who from lack of proper instruments was unable positively to 
realize the nature of his discovery, claims for himself, and we be¬ 
lieve rightly, and to his researches, the position of first discoverer. 
The papers to this effect have already appeared in the Review 
and due credit must be given to him for his work. The position 
may need confirmation and others may come forward to corroborate 
it in the same manner. And now it appears that the Doctor’s 
energy and enthusiasm are not yet satisfied by this first success in 
relation to hog cholera. We have just received from him a letter 
in which he claims a second discovery of no less importance in a 
scientific view. The true nature of Texas fever, in the opinion of 
Dr. Billings, is no longer a mystery. He writes thus: 
Lincoln, Neb., Septt. 16, 1887. 
Editor of American Veterinary Review , New York City: 
My Dear Sir —Herewith I desire to announce to the veterinary and medical 
profession the first discovery of the germ of Texas or Southern cattle fever. It is 
a bacterium so closely resemblimg that of swine plague (hog cholera) that it 
