540 
EDITORIAL. 
pneumonia. Their enlightenment will probably cost the country 
some millions of valuable dollars before the end is reached, but 
of what concern will such a consideration be in their sight ? 
We print Professor Law’s letter with pleasure. He deserves 
well at the hands of his brethren for his strong defence of veteri¬ 
nary medicine and the practitioners in this department of science, 
and he ought to be gratefully recognized as one of the most 
earnest among the protectors of the lives and health of the 
30,000,000 head of cattle which constitute so important a por¬ 
tion of our national wealth. 
Breach of Ethics. —In our last number we offered some 
brief remarks concerning the erroneous judgment which some¬ 
times resulted in the elevation to official position of young gradu¬ 
ates yet unripened for the important duties pertaining to their 
hastily acquired positions. These errors are sometimes easily ex¬ 
cusable upon the plea of necessity and the emergency of a hur¬ 
ried demand for veterinarians coincident with a scarcity of elig¬ 
ible candidates. But there is another error which has before now 
fallen under our observation, which is possibly more frequently 
committed, and which consists in the appointment of men entirely 
unfitted for the places they are called to occupy, not only as 
veterinarians by education, but as trained professional men, by 
peisons not acquainted with the ethics of their professions, and 
who would carefully abstain from any step which might subject 
them to a charge of being guilty of any action that savors in any 
way of quackery. The following extract will illustrate the sug¬ 
gestion brought to our mind in relation to this subject: 
Regarding the appointment of a State veterinarian for Montana, we find the 
following in the Live Stock Journal, Helena: ‘The office of veterinary surgeon 
does not go begging, as there are several applicants for the position. Of this 
number two are especially good—one is the State veterinarian of Nebraska, Dr. 
Julius Gerth, Jr., and the other, Dr. Folsetter, of Evansville, Ind. Both are 
highly lecommended, and no doubt could satisfactorily perform the duties of the 
office. These gentlemen ask a much higher salary than is paid at present. Such 
an important interest as stock-raising is in Montana should be guarded by the 
best talent to be procured, and if the pay is not high enough, raise it. A first- 
class man deserves a first-class salary, and it is poor economy to have anything 
else.’ ” 
