CORRESPONDENCE. 
853 
Few of us realize the difficulties to be overcome before a 
perfectly organized and appointed clinic can be held, and we are 
therefore inclined to expect too much. Let us be reasonable in 
our demands. The clinics held in the past, notwithstanding all 
their defects, have in my judgment done much good, but I shall 
be very greatly mistaken if our friend Lowe and his colleagues 
do not give us, at our 1901 meeting, the best clinic we have 
ever had. Yours respectfully, Tait Butler. 
“ rank ” IN THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES. 
Winston, N. C., December 25, 1900. 
I notice among the oppositions to the veterinary part of the 
army amendment that some Senator said u he would not have 
his son, who is in the army, rank with a veterinarian.” 
Now, I want it understood that I am not trying to create 
the impression that the Senator is not rank, for evidently he is 
in his statement, but I would suggest one way for his progeny 
to rank as high as the veterinary profession is for him to set 
high examples, make broader and more manly statements and 
teach his son to stand on his manhood and merits and not to 
retard the advancement of the veterinary or any other humane 
calling. The Senator seems to have out-ranked himself and 
people of his real rank and gotten into the Senate ranks, and 
his son was able to rank as an officer in the standing army 
probably because his father ranked in the Senate, and when 
such rank misrepresentatives of the sentiment of all the best 
people of this country are shown that their rank is out of the 
Senate or are outnumbered in the Senate by men-of real rank, 
we will see our poor army horses that have to carry these rank 
Senators’ rank sons to fame, cared for in a scientific and humane 
manner, and the man who is talented and equipped and passes 
an honest examination, even though his father is not so rank as 
the Senator, will stand as high in army ranks, and does now 
stand higher in true patriotism, bravery, intelligence, greatness, 
humanity, civilization, and in the eye of an Almighty God than 
a boy who gets his ranking because his father is rank and has 
a “ pull,” or should he attain his rank himself, there is nothino- 
in the army ranker than a real, ideal veterinarian. 
They are called upon day and night, Sunday and holidays, 
to perform the duties of one of the noblest callings on earth, 
and expose themselves and their lives to dangers that no army 
private or officer, even in the history of the world, were called 
upon to perform and face. 
