IT. S. VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
413 
for the commander of the cavalry post at Fort Myer, other cavalry officers, a 
representative of the medical department, a former staff officer of General 
Sheridan’s—who, under General Sheridan, had investigated the subject of veter¬ 
inary service—and other Officers to appear before the committee, which they did, 
stating in distinct terms the necessity for the organization of such a service. 
These officers, unquestionably, exercised considerable weight with the commit¬ 
tee. The bill was referred by the Committee on Military Affairs to the War De¬ 
partment for its consideration, and, to our surprise, was returned with an 
endorsement of the Major-General commanding the army, stating that while im¬ 
proved veterinary service was undoubtedly needed, he questioned the advisability, 
at the present time, of forming a new department, and adding so many com¬ 
missioned officers to the roster of the army. Your committee called upon Gen¬ 
eral Schofield, and, at its solicitation, the General was also called upon by mem¬ 
bers of the Committee on Military Affairs, when we learned that General 
Schofield was not, as the endorsement seemed to indicate, opposed to the estab¬ 
lishment of a more efficient veterinary service, but that, with the large number 
of other demands which were being made in Congress for the army, he deemed 
it unadvisable to attempt a service on so large a scale at present, and, by his ad¬ 
vice, a new bill was framed, submitted to him, and, with his approval, was 
introduced into the House of Representatives on March 26tli, 1890, by General 
Joseph Wheeler, of Alabama, under the number H. R. 8638, 51st Congress, 1st 
Session. 
It reads as follows : 
A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR A MORE EFFICIENT VETERINARY SERVICE. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress assembled : 
That there shall be, and hereby is, added to the quartermaster’s department 
of the United States Armj' - a veterinary division, which shall consist of one chief 
veterinarian, with the rank, pay and allowances of a major of cavalry, who may 
be appointed by the President of the United States, by selection, with and by the 
consent of the Senate; four veterinarians, with the rank, pay and allowance of 
the first lieutenant of cavalry, and ten assistant veterinarians, with the rank, pay 
and allowances of second lieutenants of cavalry. 
Section 2. That as soon as practicable, after the passage of this act, the 
President of the United States may appoint a veterinary medical examining 
board, which shall consist of the chief veterinarian, two officers of the quarter¬ 
master’s department, and two officers of the medical department, whose duty it 
shall be to examine such candidates as shall present themselves for examination 
for appointment in the veterinary division, and shall report and certify to the 
Secretary of War the names of the candidates who shall have passed the highest 
examination satisfactory to said board. 
Seo. 3. That upon the receipt from the said examining board of the certi¬ 
ficates of the candidates who shall have passed the highest satisfactory examina¬ 
tion, the President of the .United States may appoint to the various offices junior 
to the chief veterinarian said successful candidates, the said appointees to take 
rank according to the order of merit certified by said examining board, not to 
exceed the number provided for in Section 1 of this act. 
