64 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
I think it has been clearly shown that the work of meat and milk in¬ 
spection belongs exclusively to the veterinarian, and likewise the im¬ 
portance of having qualified representative members of the profession in 
every vState or municipal board of health. I am sorry that this claim is 
nut more generally recognized, and that it is possible and pertinent for 
such editorial squibs to appear as I noticed in the Feb. 5th Rural New 
Yorker, i.e.: “ The New York State Board of Health has been expending 
a little money in testing the dairy herds at State institutions. This 
serves to protect the inmates from diseased milk and sets a good ex¬ 
ample. . . . While we are thinking about the State Board of 
Health, it occurs to us that a veterinarian or two would not be out of 
place upon it. Very likely it may have to pass upon the fitness of men 
for herd testing, and phyvSicians do not get such training in comparative 
medicine as would be useful in that event. ” 
I believe it just, proper, and essential that the veterinary profession 
have representation in every scientific body. State, municipal, corporate, 
or otherwise, where the subject of the relation of the diseases of man and 
animals, or the fitness of animal products for human food is investi¬ 
gated and passed upon; and I believe that such bodies or associations of 
men will make more rapid advancement by such accessio?is to their or¬ 
ganizations ; and, finally, I am of the opinion that none but veterinarians 
should act in the capacity of inspectors of animals and their products, 
such as meat and milk. 
Dr. W. Herbert Lowe, State Veterinarian of New Jersey, 
and late Veterinary Inspector of the Port of New York, was the 
next speaker. He said : 
I have been very much interested in Dr. Gill’s paper and so far as 
the other addresses went. 
This subject of meat and milk inspection is certainly a very impor¬ 
tant one, and veterinarians have to go into it carefully, slowly, and of 
course thoroughly. People will have to be educated up to what veteri¬ 
nary science will do for them. 
In speaking of meat and milk inspection most of the speakers dwelt 
on tuberculosis, but I think our laws in regard to the inspection of dis¬ 
eases of animals should be general, and applied to all the diseases that 
are communicable from the animal to mankind, and not to tuberculosis 
alone, but no doubt tuberculosis is the most important that we have at 
the present time. I think we all recollect when pleuro-pneumonia was 
so prevalent, and all investigations were directed in that direction. 
Any of us that may have any influence in shaping what is to be done 
in that line know that we must have legislation, not directed towards 
tuberculosis, but all animal diseases. 
I think no great results will be reached by destroying infected ani¬ 
mals until we pay more attention to breeding, and to sanitary con¬ 
ditions. Carelessness in this line often produces the same disease or 
some other diseases, and we all know that the sounder the animal the 
better able it is to resist infection. It is well known, I think, that every 
man who drinks tuberculous milk and eats tuberculous meat does not 
contract tuberculosis. There is a great deal to accomplish in the line of 
breeding, which largely depends on more careful selection of the stock, 
for sometimes one infected bull will cause a great deal of harm. 
