SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
531 
had its influence both in the War Department and in Congress, but can 
never secure the support of a majority of the representatives of the 
American people. The importance of an organized and competent vet¬ 
erinary service in the army is becoming more apparent every year, and 
every time a Senator asserts that a captain knows more about a horse 
than does a veterinarian, he inspires his listeners to ask mentally it not 
orally, Why on the same principle does not a captain know more about 
a man than does a surgeon ? Why does he not know more about engi¬ 
neering than does an engineer? This is an age of specialties, and a cap¬ 
tain cannot be his own surgeon, his own engineer, his own veterinarian, 
and at the same time attend to his other duties. This should be self- 
evident to the least experienced person. Fortunately these petty and 
antiquated arguments, though repeated ad nauseam, have not had much 
influence in the Halls of Congress. It is no longer the arguments which 
must be answered ; it is the personal appeals which must be counter¬ 
acted. 
A bill has passed the Senate providing for a properly organized vet¬ 
erinary corps which would supply veterinary service for the cavalry, the 
artillery, the transportation department and the military schools. This 
bill has gone to the House of Representatives and is now in the Com¬ 
mittee on Military Affairs. While the Secretary of War does not favor 
the legislation establishing a veterinary corps, he has recommended that 
the veterinarians in the cavalry regiments be given the rank of second 
lieutenants. This is a distinct advance for the War Department and is 
extremely encouraging for all who have worked these many years to 
secure some amelioration of the army veterinarian’s condition. 
This legislation has therefore reached the critical period. There has 
never been a time when the conditions were more encouraging for suc¬ 
cess. There never has been a time when there was a prospect of accom¬ 
plishing so much. There never has been a time when the same amount 
of work would be as effective as it will during the next six months. 
Your committee created to further the cause of army veterinary 
legislation, therefore, appeals to this Association and to the veter¬ 
inary profession throughout the country to make a supreme effort now, 
while the prospects are so good, and to leave nothing undone which 
will contribute to success. Every one of the eight thousand veter¬ 
inarians in the country should feel a personal interest in this legis¬ 
lation. It secures the full recognition of the Government for the 
veterinary profession. It raises the standard of the veterinary profes¬ 
sion in this country to the same level which it has reached in other 
civilized countries. It provides an army veterinary service of which we 
may be proud and to which ever}^ graduate might aspire with the feel¬ 
ing that he has chosen an honorable and meritorious life work. It per¬ 
fects our army organization and gives the government animals the same 
skillful and merciful treatment which has long since been accorded them 
by other intelligent and humane nations. 
This is a part of the great cause for which every true veterinarian has 
studied and labored, of which he has pondered b}^ day and dreamed at 
night, for which he has lived and for which he is willing to die. Ihere- 
fore, let every individual veterinarian say to himself, This is the oppor¬ 
tunity of my life ; / will do personally everything in my power to secure 
the success of this effort in the cause of humanity , this effort to strengthen 
