CORRESPONDENCE. 
285 
its honored members that they stand shoulder to shoulder to fight 
the common enemy, the quack. In commencing to practice liere^ 
about four years ago, I was not a little surprised at the lack of 
interest the veterinary profession displayed regarding contagious 
pleuro-pneumonia in cattle, and the profound ignorance of some 
of its members as to the nature, etc., of said disease. Now this 
could not be because the disease did not exist, for I am satisfied 
that, in the spring of 1876, there were more cattle affected with 
contagious pleuro-pneumonia on Long Island, then in any other 
place of its size in the world. It was introduced here, some 
thirty years ago, and has, until recently, received every encourage, 
ment and facility for its perfect developement and propagation 
Indeed, had this Island been a place where cattle were bred for 
importation, instead of importing for dairy purposes, the disease 
would have long ere this time, spread over a very large area of 
this country : then we have Professor Gamgee’s admirable report 
of the lung plague, to the Commissioners of Agriculture at 
Washington in 1871. With this actual state of affairs, one can 
hardly come to the conclusion, that any of the professional gen¬ 
tleman connected with the American Veterinary College were 
skeptical as to the existence of the disease in this district. More¬ 
over I had the pleasure of examining in company with Dr. 
Liautard, for our own satisfaction, several cattle affected with 
contagious pleuro-pneumonia, at least ten months prior to Pro¬ 
fessor McEachran’s visit to New York, and when I then expressed 
to him my surprise at those in authority doing nothing to check 
the spread of such a scourge, he informed me that he had several 
times drawn their attention to the evils that were sooner or later 
sure to follow, seeing the disease was allowed to vegetate and 
spread, as best it could, without stint or hindrance by those in 
authority, the owners never consulting competent professional 
men when their cows were affected with the distemper, but 
milked away as long as they could bring a drop from them, and 
then sold their miserable carcasses for what they would bring. 
So the veterinary profession being powerless, adapted themselves, 
I am sorry to say, to this very reprehensible state of affairs. 
I at that time, seeing that American cattle were sold in Scot- 
