488 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
that the subjects discussed would be chiefly professional, and, 
therefore, provided efficient veterinary representatives, and 
we suggested the question which we owe it to the profession 
to answer as best we may. Ought not we to have done the 
same ? 
There was nothing of the precipitant, be it understood, in 
the arrangements which were made for the representation of 
Great Britain at the Conference. More than a year ago the 
subject was under consideration, and we may venture to state, 
taking upon ourselves whatever amount of responsibility may 
attach to the statement, that the selection of a professional 
representative was in accordance with our deliberately ex¬ 
pressed opinions. 
Our experience at the previous Conferences in Vienna and 
Zurich has established in our mind the conviction that no 
more can be done than has been done in the direction of 
scientific talk; of work there is enough and to spare 
in arrears, but it is not in conference that this will be 
cleared off. 
We know more of the laws which govern the spread of 
cattle plague, the nature, symptoms, and progress of the 
malady, than we know of most other affections ; certainly no 
malady of the lower animals has been so minutely investi¬ 
gated, and the question which really presses for solution is, 
how can the disease be excluded from importing countries 
without vexatious and restrictive interference with the supply 
of animals ? In fine, how to keep out cattle plague by the 
establishment of universally applicable rules, which shall 
not interfere with the cattle trade. This, it was understood, 
was to be the salient point in this discussion, and on this 
understanding it was concluded that a gentleman who was 
perfectly familiar with the working of the act and rules re¬ 
lating to infectious and contagious diseases of animals would 
be a more efficient representative than a professional man, 
who would naturally be inclined to give prominence to the 
scientific aspect of the question, an aspect which had already 
sufficiently contemplated without practical results. 
The Secretary of the Veterinary Department, Mr. Alexan- 
