558 
ROBERT W. ELLIS. 
for the first time upon a valuable animal, belonging, perhaps, to 
a valuable client, but who would prefer entering upon it with 
that ease^and confidence born of familiarity, veterinary surgery 
offers us the advantage of being able to procure a valueless sub¬ 
ject for experimentation, and in the more delicate operations, 
especially if a inan has never performed any in that class, I 
think this plan advisable, for, although he would probably per¬ 
form the operation all right the first time if he had given the 
proper amount of attention to the details of it, regional anat¬ 
omy, etc., by way of preparation, he would certainly perform it 
better, or, perhaps, I should say, easier, the second time. The 
presence in these experimental operations of a practitioner fa¬ 
miliar with it, will materially aid in getting the details readily. 
The extended day sessions of our National Association renders 
It possible to have practical operative surgery as part of the pro- 
pamme, which is, of course, incompatible with the short even¬ 
ing sessions of our local associations, meeting monthly, quar¬ 
terly, etc., to say nothing of the indisposition of the members 
to entering into such a programme after their routine of work 
all day. They more naturally, after their dinner, prefer sitting 
in a comfortable meeting room and listening to a paper or dis¬ 
cussion on some interesting subject by fellow members or them¬ 
selves entertaining by the same means. 
And at these meetings, if occasional papers were read by 
members describing their particular modus operandi in certain 
operations performed by them, they would, with the discussions 
that would naturally follow, prove extremely interesting and 
instructive, and tend to improve our methods of operating by a 
healthy exchange of ideas (you are all familiar with the evils 
of in-and-in breeding) for while we are cognizant of the benefits 
to be derived from scientific intercourse, which we all concede 
tends to advance us, we must see to it that we advance symmet¬ 
rically ; for, like Rowing plants, we must have a tendency to 
lean toward the side upon which the sun shines most, and I feel 
certain that papers on “ operative surgery ” are painfully in the 
minority; at least in our local association meetings. I am sure 
