SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
235 
ing ourselves upon the American Association, that we have a joint ses¬ 
sion of the Veterinary Associations of Michigan, Ontario and Ohio dur¬ 
ing the time of the meeting of the American. In theory this was very 
plausible, but practically was found impossible to cany out. The 
American Association cordially invited us to attend all their sessions, 
clinics and entertainment as if we were members of that body, and that 
took all of our time. In clinics Ohio held her own in speed of operating, as 
Dr. Torrence performed plantar neurectomy on one front limb (both sides) 
in the remarkable time of one minute and forty seconds, with openings 
in the skin not exceeding half inch in length ; his instruments a knife 
and wooden meat skewer. While the dexterity and method of the oper¬ 
ation was loudly applauded, and secured for the operator much praise, 
we must confess that his instruments gave rise to much severe criti¬ 
cism. 
It may be out of place for us to criticise the methods of the American 
Association, but it does seem that some better arrangements as to time 
could be effected ; as for instance, clinics called for 8 A,, m, would not 
commence until n A. m., a time when papers were being read, so that 
one to see an operation must miss listening to some valuable essay, or 
hear the paper and miss the operation. We venture to say that if clinics 
called for 8 A. m. commenced at that time, irrespective of audience or 
principal operator and then adjourned at its specified time, you could 
guarantee everything on time the next day ; but all in all you who were 
not present missed a treat, professionally, as well as socially, besides gain¬ 
ing confidence in your ability ; for on leaving home with a full knowl¬ 
edge of your professional mistakes, and your seeming lack of skill, you 
see college professors commit errors in operations that you yourself 
would not be worse guilty of; you then return home restocked with 
confidence and consider yourself a full-fledged veterinarian once 
again. 
The social entertainment (thanks to the Michigan Association) was 
on a scale unexpected and surprising; trolley rides, theatre parties, 
luncheons, and above all that visit to Parke, Davis & Co. ; putting in 
hours walking through the different departments in the manufacture of 
their numberless medicinal preparations, including the visit to their bio¬ 
logical laboratory (the largest in the world) where scores of horses and 
cattle, hundreds of guinea-pigs, pigeons and dogs are used in experiment¬ 
ation and manufacture of the various serums and antitoxins, used now 
in the diagnosis or treatment of such diseases as tetanus, diphtheria, 
tuberculosis, glanders, black leg, anthrax, Texas cattle fever, etc. At 
the close of this visit the firm entertained the association at luncheon, 
and from there, last but not least, we were escorted aboard steamer and 
given a ride of twenty-five miles up the lake, through the government 
canal to Star Island, there to sit down to an elaborate fish banquet and 
flowing oratory, at the close of which the meeting adjourned. A large 
number of ladies from Ohio were in attendance, who, one and all, were 
loud in their praises of their entertainment, especially the many kind¬ 
nesses shown them by the wives and daughters of the veterinarians of 
Detroit, and I doubt if one of them failed to swear that she would never 
again, if in her power, fail to attend the annual meetings of the Ameri¬ 
can Veterinary Medical Association. 
Gentlemen, we meet to-day to celebrate the eighteenth anniversary 
