MILK AND MEAT INSPECTION. 
403 
how much more so now, when the enormous quantities of flesh 
and milk consumed for food and which are constantly increas¬ 
ing, make the quality and sanitary condition of these articles 
of the greatest importance to public health. 
While most of our larger cities by municipal enactment 
have appointed inspectors and adopted a series of rules and 
regulations respecting food inspection, the use of the word 
^‘may ” in section 31, laws of the Board of Health (when refer¬ 
ring to the appointment of inspectors) operates so as to prac¬ 
tically leave outside the pale of the law, as regards their meat 
and milk inspection, all our towns and smaller cities, for, on 
the plea of economy, either no inspector is appointed at all or 
else one who has little knowledge fitting him for the duties he 
may be called upon to perform. 
Some boards of health even refuse to appoint an inspector, 
claiming that none is needed in their city ; the board seemingly 
being entirely ignorant of the traffic in diseased meat. 
An inspector should be a qualified veterinarian whenever it 
is possible to obtain one, because he has been especially edu¬ 
cated as to the pathological changes and conditions of animals 
used for food ; their diseases that are communicable to the 
human family ; as well as the natural condition of the healthy 
carcass at post-mortem. 
Fellow-practitioners, we do not believe that our profession will 
be recognized in this until our law-makers give us legislation 
looking toward the compulsory inspection of all meat and milk 
producing animals, and by State law, we, as veterinarians, are 
recognized upon all boards of health, wherever possible, on an 
equality with the medical profession. 
True, section 3 of the law governing the practice of veteri¬ 
nary medicine and surgery in this State gives us some recognition 
in qualifying that only such veterinarians as have passed the 
State examination or have been in continuous practice five 
years, and no others, shall be employed by the State Board of 
Agriculture, State Live Stock Commissioner and State Board of 
Health. 
