812 
EDITORIAL. 
bilicus by inoculation from the beards of wheat whieh had pen¬ 
etrated through her open chemise. This mode of intoxieation 
is quite typical for this case, but is it not possible that similar 
effects could be found among our domestie animals, especially 
when young and at a time when the eieatrix of the umbilieus 
is yet ineomplete or delieate and likely to be made raw by the 
slightest excoriation by rubbing against a hard substance, and in 
that way the nature of the various growths which are sometimes 
found in that region and whieh we hear of being removed, be 
positively established and proved to be aetinomyeotie. 
* * 
SociETE Centraee de Me:decine Veterinaire. —This 
is properly speaking the national representative in France. Or¬ 
ganized in 1844, it was recognized as an institution of public 
usefulness by speeial governmental legislation in 1878, and^ 
strange as it may seem, although the society of France, its 
membership is comparatively very small. The number of mem¬ 
bers is fixed as follows : 40 Active members (36 at least must be 
veterinarians), 10 honorary, 6 national assoeiates, 6 foreign as¬ 
sociates, 70 national eorrespondents, 30 foreign eorrespondents 
(among whom are found veterinarians from every part of the 
world)—a total of 162 all told. How different is this soeiety 
from the national assoeiation of the United States, where the 
number of members is so large. 
The meetings of the Societe Centrale take place twiee a 
month, in Paris. They are always very eomplete and of un¬ 
usual interest. Essentially given to scientific discussions, and, 
laying aside all subjeets of no seientific value to the veterina¬ 
rian, the soeiety pays no attention to the diseussion of other 
subjeets whieh may be of importanee to the profession at large 
—other assoeiations having charge of those. It is at the meet¬ 
ings of the Societe Centrale that all papers, eommissions, inves¬ 
tigations, etc., are presented, referred to various eommittees, re¬ 
ported and diseussed, and a final eommission, known as the 
Rewarding Commission, reeommends the granting of prizes to 
the most deserving. At the said meeting 4 large gold^ 10 sil- 
