PENNSYLVANIA STATE BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS. 435 
be allowed to practice. It is true that at that time there were 
regular practitioners, non-graduates, men who had learned the 
art from practice supplemented by such scanty literature as it 
was their good fortune to find, and it is also true that there 
were many who made a part of their living by practice and many 
more who helped their neighbors in a community, generally with¬ 
out any remuneration. 
In proceeding to pass suitable protective legislation, it soon 
became evident, and it was perfectly natural, that there should 
be two interested parties, one the party of graduates entering 
the field, the other the party of those who had honestly practiced 
the profession and secured a livelihood by it. Evidently it would 
have been unjust, even had it been possible, to obtain protective 
legislation without including the latter class of veterinary sur¬ 
geons. As a result of a compromise, these were allowed to use 
the title of veterinary surgeon or analogous title, providing they 
had gained from it a livelihood for five years previous to the 
passage of the first Act, namely in 1889. This law is known as 
the law of 1889. 
The next important step was to provide for registration of all 
men in* the state legally entitled to register, and a registration 
book of record was placed with the prothonotary of every county. 
At this juncture a startling condition appeared. No sooner was 
it generally known that men could register as veterinary sur¬ 
geons than many, without any such qualifications as were de¬ 
manded, presented themselves and succeeded in registering on 
their personal affidavits. After a period of nine months the 
registration books were supposed to be closed, but in some coun¬ 
ties no regard was paid to this by the prothonotary, the fee was 
taken and the applicant registered as before. But, in some in¬ 
stances, registration being refused, some applicants through po¬ 
litical power succeeded in having the books reopened for a short 
period, and this opening and closing of the books continued until 
I 9°5, when the State Board was formed and registration placed 
wholly in its power and discretion on the fulfillment of certain 
fixed conditions. 
