412 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
MEETING OF THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE AMERICAN VET¬ 
ERINARY COLLEGE. 
No meeting of this Association was held on the 29th of 
November owing to the absence of most of the students on 
Thanksgiving. At the meetings held on the 6th, 13th and 20th 
of December, the President, Prof. Holcombe, presided, and the 
following papers were presented: Dec. 6th, “The Different 
Breeds of American Horses, their Uses and liability to Disease,” 
by Geo. H. Bailey of Portland, Maine; Dec. 13th, “Stimulants 
versus Sedatives,” by W. Bose, Jr., Stapleton, N. Y.; and on 
Dec. 20th, “Bronchitis,” by M. G. Mattison, Pittstown, N. J. 
The paper presented by Mr. Bailey gave an exhaustive account 
of the breeds and uses of the many classes of horses at present 
common to our country, while some interesting facts and experi¬ 
ments relating to the heredity of disease and the breeding of 
animals are given below. 
“Among the many causes of disease to which our domesticated 
animals are liable, T believe the laws of hereditary descent are 
the most potent of all the influences that determine the destinies 
of individuals and of nations. The fundamental laws of descent 
that have been ascertained by science and experience are that 
every quality of organic existence tends to be hereditary. 
1 The brave begotten are by the brave and good. 
There is in steer’s, there is in horse’s blood 
The virtue of their sires. No timid dove 
Springs from the coupled eagle’s furious love.’ 
“ That both parents are concerned in imparting characteristics 
to their offspring, there can be no doubt. This is fully established 
in the case of the mule, and it is worthy of notice that the mule 
is stronger lived and lives longer than the horse; a circumstance 
anticipated by plants, where hybrids frequently live longer than 
