EDITORIAL. 
237 
which is considerably higher than the average price paid for 
horses purchased for export to Europe during the last two years. 
All we need is to cease breeding horses in a slip-shod manner 
and apply the science and art of breeding for speeial purposes, 
as followed on the continent of Europe. 
We should not neglect this first golden opportunity to make 
onr elaims as experts in this branch. Faint as may be the 
start, it must gradually develop into a new specialty of 
\ eterinary art. It was by similar demands from foreign govern¬ 
ments that the United States Department of Agriculture insti¬ 
tuted a meat-inspection service, from which now a large number 
of happy veterinarians draw seeured incomes, giving in return 
able service. We know little as yet of the new Secretary of 
Agriculture’s disposition toward the applieation of veterinary 
skill, but we know that the Chief of the Bureau of Animal In¬ 
dustry, who has always shown a keen interest in new issues, 
can do much to properly advise the Secretary to extend the use¬ 
fulness of the American veterinarian in the direction indicated 
and which naturally falls within the work of his Department. 
THE TUBERCUEIN TEST IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
In another part of this month’s Review will be found two 
very important and interesting reports upon this subject. They 
constitute the majority and minority reports of a special joint 
committee of the two branches of the Massachusetts legislature 
upon the result of their investigations to determine the aceuracy 
or fallacy of tuberculin as a diagnostic for bovine tuberculosis. 
The Cattle Commissioners of that State had condemned with 
tuberculin 130 head of cows in the vicinity of Eowell, and the 
legislature took up the question at this point by appointing the 
above committee, who were empowered to em^Dloy five experts 
(\ eterinarians), who should superintend the destruction and 
autopsies upon the condemned animals and report the result to 
the committee, who would in turn formulate a conclusion to the 
legislature, expecting by this means to obtain a settlement of 
the much discussed question as to the intrinsic value of the 
