10 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
ling rnin now. The lung plague of cattle has been blotted out 
in America, Texas fever has been hemmed in and is being vig¬ 
orously attacked in its indigenous soil, hog cholera is being ham¬ 
pered, new means for handling glanders and tuberculosis have 
been learned, and everywhere animal plagues are being con¬ 
trolled, ameliorated or eradicated. In the light of the progress 
made and obstacles overcome it is needless to say that its de¬ 
velopment must continue, that only the most superficial tasks 
have been accomplished, that other problems of equal concern 
must be solved, which will require more men, time, energy 
and ability than that already done. 
The rude, gross work already done has merely served to un¬ 
cover deeper, more complex questions. 
For some years there has been much anxiety and interest in 
the future of our army veterinary service. With an abundance 
of cheap horses and very small number used for army purposes, 
the subject has not deeply impressed our War Department, and 
has led to occasional outbursts of impatience, but slowly the 
question is being worked out. The first apparent need for army 
veterinarians was during the Civil War, when we had no 
educated veterinarians, and non-graduates were employed to do 
the best they knew, some of whom were afterward continued as 
veterinarians to cavalry, being civilian employes responsible to 
the government, but the government not responsible to them. 
Next graduates were employed on the same terms, then 
graduates only were employed, and finally graduate veterinarians 
must pass a civil service examination, but otherwise the old 
conditions exist, there being no rank and no material power, 
and hence no powerful appeal to the highest type of veteri¬ 
narians, though there are always plenty of applicants for each 
vacancy. 
I am an applicant for a position in the army veterinary ser¬ 
vice, having filed my application, endorsed by the worthy dean 
of our alma mater, and other eminent veterinarians more than 
20 years ago, but there seems to be so many candidates that I 
have not yet received notice of an appointment. 
