EDITORIAL. 
239 
This association has now been in existence for eighteen years, and 
what work of any advantage to the profession can it boast of ? 
By a recently published register of the veterinarians practicing in 
the United States, the profession is said to count about seven or 
eight hundred members in its ranks, and yet the United States 
Veterinary Medical Association counts only sixty-eight members. 
There are no doubt, some reasons for this condition of things. 
Why is it that so few members belong to it—are the conditions 
of admission so rigid that any worthy practitioner cannot be. ad¬ 
mitted ? Why is it that the meetings are so deficient in pro¬ 
fessional discussions, and so lamentably remarkable for the ab¬ 
sence of papers of acknowledged importance? Why is it that 
generally one, or perhaps two papers, and these probably only 
single records of cases, are presented, and why is it that after 
traveling many hundreds of miles, members are obliged to separ¬ 
ate after a few hours and return to their homes without satisfac¬ 
tion, or the acquisition of any important addition to their previ¬ 
ous stores of knowledge ? 
This is a sad state of things, and one which should suggest 
on the part of the officers of the association, a series of reflec¬ 
tions which should result in some measures of reform , which are 
conceded by all to be imperatively necessary. 
If the association needs an increase of members—and we be¬ 
lieve that every respectable veterinarian ought to be identified 
with it—the officers should endeavor to urge those who are 
timid about application for candidature, to send in their names 
without hesitation. 
If the members are neglectful and backward in the prepara¬ 
tion of scientific papers, and other means of securing the advance¬ 
ment of their common professional inteiests, it is the duty of the 
officers of the association to take proper measures and make the 
necessary provisions for the success of their meetings. To be 
the President of such an association is no small honor, as we es¬ 
teem it, but to be deserving of the honor requires an energetical 
supervision of the work of the association, quite as much as it in¬ 
cludes the pleasant duty of presiding at the stated meetings in 
Boston or New Y ork. 
