SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
525 
The profession, in its existing condition in the West, does not demand that such 
a change be made, and the condition will continue so long as the unqualified 
element predominates; or in other words, so long as educated veterinary surgeons 
are sparsely distributed. When the supply of competent veterinary services bears 
gny kind of close relation to the demand, then in our opinion will be time enough 
to extend the course from two to three terms. Regarding the third query, that 
each student shall be required to devote the intervening months under a qualified 
veterinary surgeon, I would state that we have no rule making it compulsory 
on students to spend their summer months in the manner indicated, but that we 
recommended it in our prospectus, and have always continued to impress upon 
our students the advantage to be gained from adopting such a course. Should 
the rule become generally adopted, we would have no objection to including it in 
our prospectus, and seeing that it was enforced as far as practicable. We wish 
you to convey our regrets to the Association at being unable to be present; how¬ 
ever, we wish you may have a pleasant meeting.” 
A lengthy communication was received from Dr. J. C. Meyer, Jr., chairman 
of the Committee on Diseases, whose duty it is to report on new and interesting 
diseases which come under their observation since our last meeting. No less then 
thirty-nine cases of glanders had come under his observation during the past year. 
He also referred in his report to the incompleteness of the laws regulating the 
suppression of contagious diseases, and urged the members present to take some 
steps to get proper legislation on the subject. He also spoke of the Humane 
Society of Cincinnati destroying many cases, but in reality they have no 
authority. 
A communication was received from Dr. Forbes, Y.S., Second U. S. Cav" 
airy, asking that the Ohio State Veterinary Association endorse a petition asking 
the military authorities at Washington to make the army veterinary surgeon a 
commissioned officer, as it is in foreign countries. The petition was signed by 
President Newton and Cor. Secretary Fair, and will be forwarded to Washington, 
D. C. 
A lengthy discussion took place on veterinary education, reviewing what had 
been written by Prof. Liautard and Prof. Hughes. It was the unanimous opinion 
that some steps should be taken to induce the faculty at the different colleges not 
to permit all students to graduate who attend their institutions. It is an outrage 
on any college, and especially upon qualified members of the profession, to allow 
a student to leave the institution who has been unable to get up the necessary 
work, and did not pass a creditable examination. What can injure the profes¬ 
sion more than an incompetent, ignorant graduate, who, as a rule, takes special 
pride in telling where he is from when he is called upon to give expert testimony 
in court, or to hold a post-mortem, and write out a report, or even write a pre¬ 
scription, he being utterly unable to do so. Does it not look bad for the institu¬ 
tion where he graduated ? The question is, can the trustees of veterinary colleges 
afford to do this kind of work ? It is a fact that some students are admitted into 
colleges who have not got a common school education ; who cannot write a sin¬ 
gle sentence grammatically; but they are private enterprises, and are, perhaps* 
conducted for dollars and cents, and are ready to take in those who apply 
Several members stated that they did not know of a single applicant being 
