219 
NORTH OF SCOTLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL 
ASSOCIATION. 
The annual meeting of this association was held in the Mechanics’ 
Hall Buildings, Aberdeen, on Wednesday, the 27th January, the 
President, Mr. Dewar, in the chair. There was a fair attendance 
of members present. 
The Treasurer, Mr. Thomson, submitted his report, which showed 
a satisfactory balance to the credit of the society. 
The President afterwards delivered the following valedictory 
address : 
Gentlemen, —This being the first year of our existence as an 
association, the question naturally arises, Have we made any pro¬ 
gress in the knowledge of our profession ? It may well be answered 
that the first year of life requires great care to maintain a healthy 
organization—an organization which requires to be kept in perfect 
harmony for the developing and completing of a healthy structure. 
It is very gratifying to know that a large number of experienced 
practitioners have joined this association, forming a large body of 
veterinary gentlemen, who, I have no doubt, are well qualified to 
make researches and investigations into the various sciences of which 
the veterinary art is composed. 
Gentlemen, we may refiect on how the past season has affected 
agriculture, as the veterinary surgeon and the agriculturist are 
closely connected. It belongs to us to look into the effects which 
climate, soil, and feeding have upon our domestic animals. The 
past summer has been a remarkably dry one, and to the farmer will 
be memorable for scarcity of food for cattle, both in summer and 
winter. No specific disease has appeared in my practice worthy of 
vour notice which I could attribute to the dry season, unless I in¬ 
clude a great number of horses which were affected with what is 
termed grass-staggers. It is also an interesting inquiry to veteri¬ 
nary surgeons generally, more especially to those in country prac¬ 
tice, to observe whether the diseases of cattle have increased or 
decreased with the increasing knowledge the agriculturist has 
acquired of improving their respective breeds. Another inquiry— 
Has veterinary science kept pace with the rapid march of agricul¬ 
ture ? You are aware that misunderstandings, both disagreeable 
and injurious to our profession, have arisen between the agricultural 
community and the veterinary body; and I believe we must trace 
a portion, and a considerable portion of it, to the neglect of that 
division of our art which is most connected with the interests of the 
farmer ; and it is in a great measure, I believe, in consequence of 
this tliat the empiric is not eradicated from our country, and that 
veterinary science is now being taught in some of our agricultural 
colleges. 
Gentlemen, it is my own opinion that a knowledge of the breed- 
