NORTH OF ENGLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 657 
Yorkshire; J. James Turner, Northumberland; T. A. Clarke, 
Horncastle; J. Hunting, London; Proud, South Hetton, 
and W. Cubitt, North Washam, Norfolk, &c., &c. 
ThePresident opened the proceedings by stating that Mr. H. 
E. Wilkinson would introduce a paper on “ The Applicability 
of Legislative Measures for the Prevention of Contagious 
Diseases/’ a subject which not only had occupied the atten¬ 
tion of Government, as being a most important one to the 
country at large, but, as it concerned the veterinary surgeon, 
one which deserves his greatest consideration and attention. 
Mr. Wilkinson then read the following paper : 
Mr. President and Gentlemen, — One pleasant duty at the outset of 
of my observations is, on behalf of our young association, to bid a cordial 
welcome to those distinguished strangers—members of our profession— 
whom I see before me. Much as we have to thank the Royal Agricul¬ 
tural Society of England for again honoring our smoky town with the 
splendid exhibition which they have brought; for the pecuniary assist¬ 
ance and countenance accorded to our profession and its college, still 
I feel that on the present occasion we have more especially to thank them 
for the opportunity of meeting with those gentlemen who are in attend¬ 
ance here to-day, and giving us an opportunity of exchanging'ideas with 
them on the progress of our profession. 
Not long ago, much the same question of veterinary inspection as that 
which we are now met to discuss, agitated the legislature of the Royal 
Agricultural Society,—the only difference being that in one case the 
diseases were of a hereditary character, whilst now they are of a con¬ 
tagious order. 
To the credit of that enlightened body it was decided to retain veteri¬ 
nary inspection ; had they not done so I feel assured from an experience 
gained during the past two months in particular, they would on the present 
occasion have admitted many horses, the object of whose owners was not 
the improvement of the breed, but to get rid of their individual specimens. 
The applicability of legislative measures for the prevention of conta¬ 
gious diseases in cattle is a subject that cannot be indifferent to the veteri¬ 
nary surgeon, since, whether we consider measures present, past, or to 
come, it is through his instrumentality the desired object is sought to be 
gained; and in him, as a rule, rests the success or failure of the scheme. 
With the habits and tendencies of professional men, I believe many of 
my brethren have waited to be consulted rather than take the initiative in 
the matter ; another reason for apparent apathy may be found in the want 
of conveniences for discussion, such as the meeting-rooms of our local 
veterinary medical associations will for the future afford us. Suffice to 
say, I have not heard of any discussion on the subject amongst the veteri¬ 
narians of the north of England. 
The Newcastle Agricultural Club, formed for the purpose of looking 
after agricultural interests in Parliament, held a lengthened meeting 
on the subject in this town ; the result of their deliberations, so far as I 
could gather, was that they deprecated any interference with the right of 
circulating disease amongst themselves ; but strongly objected to having 
any imposed upon them by the foreigner. 
An act passed in the )*2th year of the present reign, entitled, “An Act 
to prohibit the importation of sheep, cattle, or other animals, for the pur¬ 
pose of preventing the introduction of contagious or infectious diseases 
