908 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
municipal control of meat and milk supply in cities is one of 
the necessities of the times if we wish to keep disease from 
doing its deadly work. 
That milk is a vehicle by which disease is transmitted is a 
well established fact in the minds of all educated men. In how 
many ways an animal may be the source of infection it would 
require too long a time to describe. But tuberculosis and other 
diseases of the udder and teats suggest abundant causes of in¬ 
fection. The determination of these causes can only be de¬ 
scribed by the veterinarian. That diseased and tubercular cows 
are in our herds is true if the observations and experience of 
other cities are true. The municipality, the council, or board 
of health have the undoubted right to take the whole subject 
of meat and milk inspection under city control, and it is for 
them to enact ordinances protecting the public from diseased 
meat and impure milk. 
The salary of an educated and competent veterinarian 
would approximately be $1200. Place the meat and dairy in¬ 
spection under his control as a city official and license all 
butchers and dairymen, but hold them to a strict conformity to 
the ordinance or revoke their license, and publish the facts. 
To neglect wise and thorough control of the meat and milk 
supply of any city, is to invite the dissemination of diseases of 
the most virulent and fatal character. The municipal author¬ 
ity of this city should stand for the health of this community, 
for the health of the babies and invalids who depend upon this 
milk for food. Are the people willing to take the risks? I am 
of the opinion that the lack of such inspection and control is 
due not to willfulness, but to indifference and ignorance of the 
true conditions. Let the people agitate until their will is 
obeyed. 
In the absence of Dr. Thackaberry, the discussion which 
followed the reading of the paper was led by Dr. S. Stewart, of 
Kansas City, as follows : 
Dr. Steivart: I had not expected to enter very much into 
the discussion of this subject and have not noted it as closely 
as I should have done. I wish to say, however, that I was 
quite interested in the paper and think such papers should be 
placed before the public as frequently as possible, so that it 
may be fully and correctly informed, and be guided accordingly. 
Most of our veterinary papers that are prepared for veterinary 
societies are not very well adapted for presentation in the pub¬ 
lic press. They are much inclined to be too technical, too 
