EDITORIAL. 
973 
I have, however, always given as much attention as 
possible to the study of the horse disease taught as ‘ Cerebro-spinal 
Meningitis ’ in the text-books and at the schools. 
“I long ago concluded that this name was a ‘ misfit, ’ and that it was 
worth looking into. The disease is usually an annual visitor to Mary¬ 
land, and I have seen hundreds of cases since I came here in 1896. Un¬ 
til the winter of 1900-1901, the post-mortems never revealed any more to 
me than to others ; but at the last of the outbreak, I made an interesting 
observation and one which, if known to others, failed to elicit much com¬ 
ment \ i.e., a lesion of the brain substance itself, with but slight menin¬ 
geal congestion. After the first case, I searched for it in all cases, and in 
each of the following cases I found the lesion varying in prominence. 
I knew then that I was on the right track, and, believing the best help 
available was none too good, I consulted with Prof. Wm. H. Welch, of 
Johns Hopkins University, at Baltimore, Md. He had already worked 
on this disease for a long time with the late Dr. Clement, when the lat¬ 
ter was State \ eterinarian, but without any success. He was intensely 
interested, and w^e then cooperated in its study, his associate, Dr. W. 
G. MacCallum, giving his time to the laboratory work. The results 
of our work to date are given in the reprint I send you. 
There is much now to be done upon it before it is completely solved, but 
this disease is our worst enemy here, and it will continue to receive 
study. There is at present a bill before our Legislature to create a com¬ 
mission for the purpose of studying this disease. We will have that 
commission formed of a pathologist, bacteriologist and veterinarian, 
I think, without any trouble, if the bill passes.” 
In a more recent letter Dr. Buckley encloses a copy of the 
bill referred to, which has had its third reading in the lower 
house with a vote of 66 to 9. The bill is as follows : 
A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT FOR THE CREATION OF A COMMISSION TO 
INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE, ORIGIN, TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND CURE 
OF 1HE DISEASE IN HORSES CALLED CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS. 
Section i. Be it enacted by the General Assemblv of Maryland 
that the Governor of the State be and is hereby authorized to appoint a 
commission to be known as the Commission to investigate the disease 
in horses called Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis, to consist of not less than 
five persons, of whom the pathologist of Johns Hopkins University and 
the Veterinarian of the Maryland Agricultural College shall be two, 
whose duty it shall be to investigate the cause, origin, treatment, pre¬ 
vention and cure in the State of Maryland of the disease in horses called 
Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis. 
Sec. 2. The members of the said commission shall serve without pay, 
except expenses actually incurred, and shall continue in office for a 
term of two years from date of their appointment, They shall meet in 
