568 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
of Mississippi, and other Southern and Western veterinarians, 
are probably convinced that anthrax is not particularly rare in 
this country. Again, an experiment station veterinarian informs 
his readers that the literature on a certain subject is “ mostly 
foreign.” Still, I find not less than a dozen bulletins treating 
the subject, besides numerous articles in veterinary journals and 
elsewhere. In all, probably double what he could find in the 
foreign literature of all languages. 
As a seeker after truth and a discoverer of abstract facts, the 
German certainly has no superior, but he is in no sense the 
equal of the American in his application of facts to conditions, 
especially American conditions. 
The result is we have numerous translations, but little 
strictly original literature from this class of men. Of these 
translations, which have been quite numerous in recent years, to 
which would you refer the young practitioner for aid in diagno¬ 
sis or treatment? They are almost without exception absolutely 
worthless to the American country practitioner. They were 
written for other readers and apply to other conditions, and 
business methods. When we have recovered from this mental 
dyscrasia and applied ourselves to a development of an Ameri¬ 
can Veterinary Science, suitable to the conditions existing in 
this country, we will see fewer failures in veterinary practice 
from what is now known as lack of practical •“ horse sense.” 
This association has a written code of ethics an observance 
of which is required from every member. The restraining in¬ 
fluence thus obtained has had a splendid effect in elevating the 
standard of veterinary ethics, not only among our members, but 
also throughout the whole profession. It is true that in the 
light of modern ideas concerning the rights of the individual 
and more liberal views of business enterprise, some sections of 
our code may seem somewhat antiquated and contracted, but it 
had served a good purpose and this association should now re¬ 
quire the same high standard of moral and business integrity 
which it has enforced in matters strictly professional. It is 
needful that we look more carefully into the moral character 
and business standing of our applicants for membership. The 
strength of our organization is as much dependent upon the 
high moral and business integrity of our members as upon their 
professional and scientific attainments. 
I have thus spoken of veterinary ethics in a general way, but 
I wish to particularly call your attention to a violation of our 
code, in spirit at least, by some of our veterinary colleges. This 
