40 
DEFECTS OF THE ARMY VETERINARY SERVICE. 
The question of a general meeting place was brought up, and on motion, 
Drs. R. A. McLean, Delesser and R. A. Finlay were appointed to find such a 
place, its cost, and report at next meeting. 
The Treasurer reminded the meeting that there was an indebtedness of $65.00 
to start the year with, for printing acoount due, and balance due account. 
The Chair instructed the Committee to bear this in mind. 
On motion, meeting adjourned till second Tuesday in April, to meet at the 
same place, and Dr. C. C. Cattanach was appointed as essayist. 
W. H. Pendry, D.Y.S., Secretary. 
DEFECTS OF THE PRESENT U.S. ARMY VETERINARY SERVICE. 
The aggregate pecuniary value of army animals is nearly three 
million dollars. 
Two-thirds of those animals, value two million dollars, are 
utterly unprovided with veterinary attendance or supervision, but 
are left to the ignorant and often brutal treatment of soldiers and 
drivers, resulting in large annual loss of public property. 
Large losses annually occur, and great waste of veterinary 
drugs, instruments, etc., there being no veterinary specialist in 
charge of these, their feeding, shoeing, purchasing and general 
management being regulated by “Boards” composed of officers 
who have not the necessary technical knowledge or education to 
fit them for such positions. 
U. S. Army officers, unlike their European confreres, do not 
receive the slightest instruction on veterinary matters, although 
they are frequently in charge of large numbers of public animals, 
and have the regulation of veterinary affairs, purchase of horses 
and mules, frame rules for feeding, watering, shoeing, medicines, 
veterinary attendance, etc. 
Army horseshoeing “ according to tactics, ” is “ foot butchery, 
hoof mutilation, and destructionit prematurely cripples and 
renders useless hundreds of valuable horses and mules each year. 
The annual animal condemned and death list presents a far 
higher percentage than any other civilized army, requiring a 
yearly appropriation of two hundred thousand dollars. 
Animals fit for military purposes are becoming scarcer, of 
greater pecuniary value, and more difficult to procure from year 
to year. 
