492 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
order that he may know as to the chances of success and may weigh the 
probable cost. 
This, of course, is a purely commercial view of a commercial article, 
modified sometimes to a greater or less extent by the sentimental affec¬ 
tion of the owner for the animal. It may be, however, that this is the 
highest plane upon which to stand ; that the value to the community 
should measure one’s exertions in the care of the sick. Again, public 
opinion has decreed that while the practitioner of human medicine has 
not the right to take the life of one suffering from an incurable disease, 
the veterinarian has that right and should not be slow in using it. It 
is, indeed, a privilege to possess the power to put a speedy end to suffer¬ 
ing. But, again, other things being equal, this one fact is more useful 
than any other in sharpening the wits of the veterinarian and obliging 
him to give quick service for the money expended. I repeat then that, 
looking* upon the matter as a whole, I believe that the practice of vet¬ 
erinary medicine is more interesting and quite as profitable as that of 
practising human medicine. 
Much has been said of late as to the prospective horseless age. But 
the time when all pleasure giving and all work will be taken away from 
the horse and his place supplanted by machinery has not yet come. 
Now, gentlemen, this cry has been prevalent many times. When elec¬ 
tric lighting came it was said that gas would no longer be used. When 
the steam railways started, when the electric cars came, when the 
bicycle was put into use, and now as the automobile is making its ap¬ 
pearance we are told that our trade is gone. As a matter of fact, not¬ 
withstanding all these innovations, the number of horses that are in any 
way worth the expenditure of money upon is generally upon the in¬ 
crease, or if at times somewhat curtailed, the diminution is due to tem¬ 
porary commercial depressions with which these innovations have had 
nothing to do. L,et no man otherwise well fitted be prevented from en¬ 
tering this profession on account of the influence of some one interested 
in the paper stock of some miraculously invented machine. 
As to the progress made by the committees of this association dur¬ 
ing the past year, a more important one is that dealing with Army leg¬ 
islation. It has been a long time since our first efforts in this direction 
were started, but it was only during the last session of Congress that 
any definite progress has been made. At this session, under the able 
influence of the Chairman, Dr. Salmon, much was done. In a letter 
from him under date of August 17, 1899* says : “ The committee on 
Army legislation began its work by interviews with the chairmen of 
the respective committees of the House and Senate on Military Affairs 
and these committees afterward reported bills containing substantially 
the legislation that our association has so long desired, that is, it was 
provided that there should be two veterinarians with rank of second 
lieutenant with each cavalry regiment. 
“Unfortunately, at the last moment, the bills agreed upon by the 
two committees were laid aside and a temporary substitute bill adopted. 
This bill was less satisfactory, as it provided for only one veterinarian 
with the pay and allowances of a second lieutenant of cavalry for each 
regiment and another at $75.00 per month and the allowances of a ser¬ 
geant major. This was disappointing ; but the bill provided that the 
veterinarian appointed to the first grade shall not be so appointed until 
