550 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
tives in Congress—and it wi -11 be a miracle if we do not succeed 
in our long struggle. 
“ So it is in this State. A bill is introduced in the Assembly, 
which if it became a law, would destroy the legal foundation 
of our profession. Our watchful Judiciary Committee, ever on 
the alert for just such efforts, sounds the alarm, which is taken 
up by the active members of the society throughout the State 
and such an avalanche of protests pours into the committee 
having the bill in charge that it never emerges from the com¬ 
mittee room. The whole profession of the State is thus pro¬ 
tected and benefitted by the society of which you are members. 
How could adequate protection from iniquitous legislation be 
secured by any other means ? How can veterinarians withhold 
their support from an organization doing such work in their 
behalf year after year? 
It is illustrative of the power for good which can be exerted 
by such an association. It is estimated by such a careful statis¬ 
tician as our worthy Secretary that the State of New York con¬ 
tains 800 graduate veterinarians and 1500 non-graduates. As 
only the former are eligible to membership in this society, it 
leaves us with a possible membership of 800. Now, when we 
contemplate- the great influence wielded by this association, 
and the large amount of work performed by it in its short his- 
toiy, with less than 100 members, only a small proportion of 
which are really active, it may be imagined what grand good 
could be done had we upon our rolls the number that should 
be there all working as one harmonious band for the best in¬ 
terests of our profession and our commonwealth—the pursuit 
of knowledge, the elevation of our profession, the preservation 
of the health and wealth of the State by the intelligent guard¬ 
ianship of its herds and flocks against the ravages of contagious 
diseases, the protection of the legitimate practitioners and the 
public against unqualified competition, and the cementing of 
friendships by pleasant social intercourse. 
u This society was organized at Rochester on January 15, 
1S90, with 27 members. The following year we were incor- 
poiated by act of the legislature, since which date we have 
elected 104 to membership, making a total of 131. Of this 
number 28 have been suspended for delinquency of dues, 3 have 
been dropped for breach of the Code of Kthics, 4 have resigned, 
and 5 have died—leaving upon our rolls to-day 91 members. 
Nine annual meetings have been held. In 1890 at Rochester 
(the organization meeting), 1891, 1892, 1893, at Syracuse, 1894 
