"-- 7 . 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
877 
possible, those interested in the benefits to be derived from 
veterinary science, rather than work in that mysterious way so 
commonly met with among the uneducated in all professions, to 
some extent, but especially so in ours. The assembling to¬ 
gether of so many different minds cannot help but result bene- 
ficiall}^, but the veterinarian should always remember that the 
man makes the profession —not the profession makes the man. 
He should be of exemplary habits,—upright, honorable and just 
in all his dealings between his employer and himself. It is 
with regret that I see the deplorable results of ignorance, as dis¬ 
played through lack of veterinary education in the U. S. Army, 
when millions of dollars worth of property is left to the care of 
uneducated veterinarians, the sufferings of the bravest ani¬ 
mals in war, and the most docile in peace, being unnecessarily 
increased. The Iowa State Veterinary Medical Association, of 
which we have a right to feel proud, came into life in the year 
1887 Ames, la., with 16 charter members. Dr. A. B. Morse, 
of Des, Moines was its first president, and Dr. J. J. Street of 
Ames was secretary. In the past ten years we have enrolled 
one hundred and forty-five members, some of whom have left 
the State and others have been suspended for non-payment of 
dues ; leaving our present organization with about seventy-five 
members in good standing. There should be no excuse now. 
The past few years were not very remunerative to veterinarians, 
but the present prospects are much brighter. It is unnecessary 
for me to dwell on the condition of our State laws. We should 
make united efforts to improve them. Let each member seek 
to so educate his legislators that they may understand that it is 
to benefit the general public, and not for party or class pecu¬ 
niary motive that we are working, then I will have no doubt of 
‘ the results. It is encouraging to note that the medical profes¬ 
sion is awakening to the realization of the transmission of dis¬ 
ease through diseased meat and milk and we hope and trust that 
very soon all abattoirs and dairies will be operated under inspec¬ 
tion and supervision of qualified veterinarians. Under the cam¬ 
paign of our veterinary and medical journals, assisted by the 
public press, good results should follow in the near future. Our 
programme for this meeting has been selected with great care 
and diligence on the part of our Secretary, and it is for you, 
gentlemen, to make the meeting the success it should be by 
fully participating in the discussion. By so doing, we will go 
home feeling that we have been well repaid for our efforts.” 
The reading of correspondence was then called for. The 
