556 
ROBERT W. ELLIS. 
Now, the next question that would naturally present itself is, 
why is this so ? 
I think to some extent (but to how great an extent I am 
not prepared to say) to lack of inclination or adaptability to 
that particular branch of practice, which soon results in the 
feeling of “ content ” before alluded to. But I believe another 
and perhaps the principal reason is the lack of a sufficient num¬ 
ber of the variety of cases in general practice to attain profi¬ 
ciency in some of the more delicate and ‘‘ classical ” operations. 
Another reason is that' every veterinarian is not fortunate 
enough in the beginning to have facilities, such as suitable 
places to operate, etc., or'he, at ikst, feels that he has not, com¬ 
ing as he does just fresh from college, where he has been accus¬ 
tomed to seeing operations '’pWfonned in spacious operating 
rooms with all the necessary appointments, and he is very apt 
to send the case to some one that has, expecting to be better 
prepared later on. If he is in the vicinity of a veterinary col¬ 
lege, he sends the patient there^‘and'^ thiis it is that you will 
observe “ house surgeons ” in coilege^' hospitals almost invari¬ 
ably become good operators by being constantly brought in 
contact with that kind of work. ’ ^n otlier words, a “ fellow- 
graduate ” of the house surgeon goes'out to build up a practice 
just as well prepared for his work'as'the house suro-eon, but 
finally when he meets a case that requires some “special opera¬ 
tion ” he reflects that “he has not the facilities yet to handle 
that case,” and so sends it to the “ college hospital.” That is an 
operation lost to him and gained by the “ house surgeon,” and 
in that way, he runs back while his classmate goes ahead. In 
other words, the “art of surgery” with him has not kept 
abreast with the science, for during all his spare moments he 
has been reading the current literature of the day, possibly 
has bought a new book or two on surgery, and has learned with 
much interest of one or two new operations that have come 
into veterinary surgery since he has graduated, all of which 
have undoubtedly been performed at the veterinary’^ schools 
since that time also. These remarks, gentlemen, remember, 
