CORRESPONDENCE. 
195 
ests of the U. S. V. J ., and then to tell us it was our place to be 
present and look after our interests—this is about the coolest 
thing we have heard of for some time. Mr. Daniels came down 
from Chicago to organize the association; why did he not call 
upon any of us and find out why Mr. Smith had failed in his 
mission ? I will supply the answer, which the readers of the 
Deview have doubtless arrived at in their own minds ere now: 
Because the thing was cut and dried; the association had to be 
formed, graduates or no graduates ; the Journal had to have 
more subscribers and more advertisers. The fruit of the “ Mis¬ 
souri Mission ” was to be seen in the last issue of the paper in 
question, in which my friend Slattery’s card is hemmed in by a 
perfect horde of St. Louis quacks ! So much for Mr. Daniels’ 
explanatory letter. 
Another point which should be carefully considered by the 
profession is the national legislation proposed by Dr. Plageman. 
Section 1 of the “ Act to regulate the practice of veterinary med¬ 
icine and surgery” runs as follows : “ That no person shall be 
permitted to practice as a veterinary surgeon, either by prescrib¬ 
ing for or treating any domestic animal for any disease, injury or 
ailment, or performing any operation, without having obtained a 
diploma from a college authorized to graduate students in veteri¬ 
nary medicine and surgery, or is a recognized member of a State 
Association , oris a licentiate of same, and has passed a satisfac¬ 
tory examination before a board appointed for the purpose, and 
for which he shall hold a certificate or license.’ 1 ' 1 
The italics are mine. 
Now, as to no man being allowed to practice for fees without 
being a graduate of a recognized school, that is very well and 
good, but the remainder of Section 1, in my eyes, constitutes a 
great danger to the profession, and virtually amounts to a usurp¬ 
ation of the diploma-giving prerogative of the schools, and the 
vesting of the same in a number of associations strongly tainted 
with the empirical element. Numbers will avail themselves of 
this back-door entrance to the profession, for they will reason 
that if a State association membership or license entitles them to 
legal recognition and can be obtained with comparatively little 
trouble, why go to college and be under the expense attendant on 
