834 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
Dustan of Morristown, who had qualities of mind and heart 
that more than compensated for lack of collegiate training. 
The large number of candidates for membership at this 
meeting is phenomenal. 
I have had the honor of presenting the names of fifty-two 
practitioners, most of whom have already paid their initiation 
fees. Fifty-two new members certainly ought to throw new 
life into the various branches of the association’s work. I pre¬ 
dict that the Veterinary Medical Association of New Jersey can 
be made one of the, if not the, strongest and best veterinary 
societies in this whole United States. There is plenty of good 
timber in New Jersey. It will not do to let Dr. Hoskins have 
it all his own way over in Pennsylvania. 
I would like to see this association inclusive rather than 
exclusive. Of course all will not have equal education or 
equal ability. This is not found even among the graduates of 
any particular college or university, but all the more reason for 
and importance of society attachment. 
The advantages of a proper State organization are many. 
First, it gives practitioners an opportunity of getting acquainted 
with each other and tends to create a fraternal feeling. Of 
course, if a man has not character, he will do. mean and con¬ 
temptible things whether he is in the society or out. In the 
society, however, he can be disciplined and brought under 
moral restraint, whereas, if outside, nothing can be done with 
him unless he directly - violates a law of his city or of the 
State. 
In the second place the State association is of great impor¬ 
tance in the promotion of scientific advancement, which every 
truly professional man is interested in. There is not a veteri¬ 
narian in this gathering but who knows certain things that 
would be of advantage to some other veterinarian ; and then 
again this some other veterinarian knows things that his 
brother does not know. There should be an exchange of ex¬ 
periences, opinions, etc. Cases should be reported, not those 
only, that recover, but more particularly those that do not re¬ 
cover. The practitioner’s opinion as to why cases did not re¬ 
cover should be given. Post-mortem examinations should be 
the rule, and npt the exception, if the profession is to advance 
in pathology and in the scientific treatment of disease. 
The examination of horses as to soundness is a subject that 
this association could profitably take up, and one that every 
practitioner would take an interest in and one that every veter- 
