404 
R. W. FINLAY. 
infancy, required the constant attention of the profession in their 
own defense. Gentlemen, the profession has lived through its 
infancy and attained its manhood; it represents educated intelli¬ 
gence, and, backed by scientific knowledge and unity of action, it 
has given the death blow to empiricism, and now turns its atten¬ 
tion to the destruction of the monster virus , or disease in its 
incipiency. 
This subject has been uppermost in the minds of the members 
of the New York State Veterinary Society for some time past, 
where it has been thoroughly ventilated, and the result is this 
special meeting, called for the open discussion of the matter, lay¬ 
ing bare the facts as they exist before the public, asking them to 
lend a helping hand in invoking the aid of the Legislature against 
evils that exist, sapping the vitality and threatening the lives of 
our loved ones. 
In this capacity I have been requested to come before you this 
evening, and I shall endeavor in a concise manner, avoiding tech¬ 
nicalities as far as possible, to merit your consideration and ask 
your hearty co-ojperation in a just cause. 
To the non-professional eye the questions naturally arise as 
regards the proposed bill: 
• 1. What are its objects and aims ? 
2. What are the evils claimed to be in existence f 
3. Do they exist de facto, or only in the imagination f 
4. Are they of much moment f 
5. What is the remedy proposed , and does it conflict with 
existing laws aflecting the financial interests of the State or 
county governments , or the liberty of the people f 
What are its objects and aims? 
Gentlemen, the proposed bill has for its object a check upon 
the spread of contagious diseases, many of them arising in the 
lower order of animals, and communicable to man, and being 
in many cases common to both. 
Of these we find examples in glanders, farcy, typhoid, diph¬ 
theria, hydrophobia, scarlet fever, measles, tuberculosis, anthrax, 
malignant pustule, eczema, ringworm and many other parasitical 
diseases of the skin. 
