EDITORIAL. 
267 
mation of the first organization of the kind in the United States 
were blit few. But a good record it was for all, and especially for 
those self-educated men who were thus acknowledging their ap¬ 
preciation of the profession they had chosen. Little by little, 
however, and year by year, the Association as it grew older en¬ 
larged its list of members, and so increased its catalogue, that to¬ 
day, in visiting any portion of the country, whether in the North, 
the South, the East or the West, the members may be sure of 
finding a glad welcome from their fellows who hold a certificate 
of membership. Her motto ought to be “ Union,” for since her 
foundation it has always been her prime endeavor .to unite the 
members of the profession in a true spirit of brotherhood. Thus 
we trust that the visit to Cincinnati, in order to celebrate the an¬ 
niversary, will not fail to bring many worthy members of the 
profession into friendly contact and useful acquaintanceship. 
The growth of our special department of medicine in the 
United States has been so great within the last twenty years that 
many sections of our continent are now provided with competent 
veterinarians, which heretofore were compelled to leave their 
ailing animals to the care of ignorance and charlatanism. While 
a few years since the veterinarians of the country could be 
counted by two or three hundreds, our recent statistics show over 
a thousand names in our ranks. Are not these all-sufficient rea¬ 
sons why the United States Veterinary Medical Association is by 
a natural law, so to speak, crowded beyond the sphere they had 
heretofore occupied, and why they are justified in going to meet 
their friends in the metropolis of Ohio ? 
We may expect that at the meeting in Cincinnati some diffi¬ 
culties will present themselves in the matter of organization. The 
question of admission to membership may not be carried out as 
promptly as some candidates would choose. The presentation of 
credentials from veterinary societies will probably be thought 
necessary, and ought to be, previous to the opening of the regu¬ 
lar meeting; the Comitia Minora ought to be ready to work at 
an early hour, and the Board of Censors should be prepared to 
report at the opening of the meeting. If the organization is well 
managed, we shall probably be able to record a grand meeting. 
