EDITORIAL. 
699 
separation and started the great subdivision of specialties, which 
from that of equine, cattle, and canine practitioner has brought 
to light others, such as those who are surgeons before anything 
else, or obstetricians or sanitarians, down to the specialty of 
dentistry. 
We believe again that horse dentistry is specially of Amer¬ 
ican origin ; at least, if it is not, we doubt if any horse dentist 
has obtained a greater name and reputation than some of our 
American horse dentists. Has any been superior to House in 
his day? With all that, the title has received in England a 
greater recognition than in any other country, we believe, and 
the announcement has been made that a Mr. J. M. M. has re¬ 
ceived a Royal Warrant as the King’s Horse Dentist. 
This appointment has created a great sensation in the vet¬ 
erinary world of England, and severe criticisms are found in 
some of the professional papers ; but of what use ? 
The worthy editor of the Veterinary Record , in some well 
appropriated but severe remarks, writes with perfect right that 
‘ Horse dentistry cannot be separated from veterinary surgery, 
md for the highest personage in the land to ignore veterinary 
surgeons and select a trainer of horses to look after equine 
:eeth is a gross insult to a body holding a royal charter.” 
We sincerely approve of these remarks, and hope that this 
:oyal sanction will not be allowed to figure on the card of the 
specialist alluded to, as a means of advertisement, so commonly 
ased by workshops on the Continent and in England. 
* 
* * 
Mortality Reduced by Antidiphtheric Serum. —From 
he comptes rendus of the work done at the Pasteur Institute of 
Mile (France) in 1900, the results of the prophylaxy and treat- 
uent of diphtheria by serotherapy is shown. The benefits de- 
ived from the gradually spreading use of antidiphtheric serum 
)n the mortality and morbidity in that city is most striking. 
The course of the mortality is regularly going down since 1894, 
because most of the cases treated on the first or second day re¬ 
named benignant and are not generally declared. Besides this, 
