VALUE OF RECTAL EXAMINATION IN DIAGNOSIS. 
333 
which we know but very little about and we know still less 
about the successful treatment of them. Some have one 
theory while others have another of the same disease. So we, 
the veterinarians of the State of Kansas, seeing the room for 
deep study and investigation in the pathology of them and the 
medication in the treatment of them, are not going to follow 
in the old ruts, if there is a better way, nor do we propose to 
always be. nestlings and have everything dropped into our 
mouths. There can and should be just as much originality 
and research in the Kansas veterinary surgeon as in those 
hailing from any other State, if there is not then we are differ¬ 
ent in our dispositions from every other class of citizens in the 
State. 
When we first leave the college halls we are like young 
birds just leaving their nests. We are fat with scientific facts 
that have been crowded into our minds ; we know this and 
that, but not so much from personal experience, for it is lim¬ 
ited. In practice we gradually lose the adipose part of our 
education but the muscular part begins to develop. Our prac¬ 
tice is somewhat mechanical at first, but originality “ steals 
upon us like a snowstorm in the night.” Original ways, man¬ 
ners, thoughts and ideas are what we are always anxious to 
read of in our journals as well as to listen to in a gathering 
like this. I hope we may have some original ideas expressed 
in the discussion following the reading of this paper. 
I venture the assertion that there have many horses 
died, under the care a.nd treatment of skillful veterinary sur¬ 
geons, animals whose lives might have been spared had the 
veterinarian taken the precaution earlier in the disease and 
made a rectal examination. 
1 admit it is not a pleasant task, as are many of the veter¬ 
inary duties, but when that is the thing to do, roll up your 
sleeves and doit cheerfully. As to when it should be done, I 
will speak later. 
The manner of making a rectal examination is important, 
though the rectum is not such a delicate organ, yet it should 
be handled very cautiously. 
The rectum can first be emptied by an enema of warm 
