SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
493 
lie shall ha\ e passed an examination to be prescribed by the Secretary 
of War, as to his physical, moral and professional qualifications. The 
recognition of the necessity of an examination before appointment is a 
distinct gain and will be of much value to the profession. And the 
further provision that the veterinarians now in the service who do not 
pass such competitive examination shall be eligible to the positions of 
the second class, under such rules as are now prescribed by the regula¬ 
tions, is only a just recognition of the men who have patrioticall}" and 
loyally filled these positions in the past and have endured many hard¬ 
ships for the good of the service. The Chairman of your Committee 
was received by the sub-committee on military affairs of the Senate and 
allowed to make a statement when this substitute bill was under con¬ 
sideration. It is hoped that when the permanent bill is passed the 
veterinarians will be given the full rank of second lieutenant and that 
possibly a veterinary department may be created with a veterinarian at 
its head who shall have rank in proportion to the importance of the 
position.” 
Thus you will see by this letter that while exactly what was wanted 
has not been accomplished, nevertheless we have at least the temporary 
bill made in the haste of the last hours of the session and which seems 
to have been the best that could have been expected under the circum¬ 
stances. Still it leaves much to be desired and it is to be hoped that 
the deficiency will be supplied during the next session of Congress, so 
that we may have what we deserve and what I believe the country claims, 
viz., a veterinary department presided over by some one of sufficient 
rank and providing for the extension of the service to the light artillery 
and to the Quartermaster’s Department. 
Too much praise cannot be accorded to the Secretary of Agriculture 
for the interest he has taken in this matter and for the wholesome in¬ 
fluence exerted by him upon other members of the Cabinet, especially 
the Secretary of War. Without his help it is a question whether much 
could have been accomplished, and except for the close relationship ex¬ 
isting between the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chairman of this 
Committee it is a question whether his intelligent interest in the mat¬ 
ter would have been aroused. I therefore say that this association is 
greatly indebted to Dr. Salmon for his earnest and self - sacrificing 
efforts. He has done good work, I believe, not only for the profession, 
but for the Army and the country at large. 
As to interference by the individual States and the Federal govern¬ 
ment for the control of the infectious diseases in animals, I think that 
my ideas are sufficiently well known not to need any further remarks 
upon the subject. I would only insist that to be effective all laws rela¬ 
tive to the public health should be devised and controlled by a combined 
body of the boards of health and the live stock sanitary boards in the 
different States. These should in all cases work in conjunction with 
and do their utmost to assist the boards at Washington. 
As to the future of this association, I believe that what it has already 
done is only a beginning of an active crusade against the ravages of 
disease both in animals and in human beings. If we can by our efforts 
provide the adults of the community with sound meat and the children 
with pure milk, we shall certainly be invading the territon r of the physi¬ 
cian. If the chemists then do their part and see that the community is 
