HISTORY AND PROGRESS OF VETERINARY 
MEDICINE 
Gentlemen : When we look over the statistics which all of us can gather at the 
Agricultural Bureau in Washington, our attention cannot help but be attracted to the 
immense improvements, which have especially in late years rewarded the efforts of the 
agricultural people of this country, and also to closely observe what enormous progress 
we have made in breeding and raising of live stock. No less that 25 years ago our 
domestic animals were counted by about—in round figures, 5,000,000 horses, over 17, 
000,000 of cattle, 22,000,000 sheep, and 30,000,000 of swine; and in our last census we 
find these figures raised to over 8,000,000 horses, 22,000,000 cattle, 28,00,000 sheep, 
26,000,000 swine. Twenty-five years ago a capital of about 600,000,000 of dollars rep¬ 
resented the value of the live stock of those days. To-day we lay on it a value of 1,600, 
000,000 dollars. 
These statistics presented to you to-day, tell you the progress that the United 
States have made during the last 25 years, and give you an idea of what it has been in 
the last Century. Still while a short distance from this hall, on magnificent plots of 
ground, in immense buildings the United States have brought together all the different 
branches of science and art, so as to show the world our advancement during the past 
hundred years of our existence as a Nation, does it not strike your mind and that of any, 
observer, that in these immense gatherings, in these vast collections, in this great show 
of the new world, where everything is represented, where every science, art and trade 
has its place, Veterinary Medicine alone is absent. No matter if it prevents diseases, 
restores health, improves breeds of animals, regulates sanitary measures, protects trade 
of animals: no matter, if this immense fortune of $1,600,000,000 owes much of its ex¬ 
istence to veterinary art, to comparative medicine, in our Centennial buildings, in our 
exhibition, there is nothing pertaining to it, for I cannot consider anything the lame 
attempts which you may find in the Army department, or in the Agricultural depart¬ 
ment; both of which consist merely of the exhibition of a few pathological specimens. 
And why is this? Why is there no provision made in.Dus Country to protect the live 
stock ? With few exceptions there is no one ready to oppose the ravages of an epizoo¬ 
tic. All our animals are thus left exposed to all the dangers of disease, and that because 
with all its importance amongst all professions the Veterinary is the only one, which 
has been sadly neglected in America, and which in this year of our Centennial Cele¬ 
bration has made the least progress. 
On this occasion it has seemed to me proper to pass a general review of the ad¬ 
vancement of Veterinary Medicine in the United States for the last century, by laying 
before you, what historical facts I have obtained relating to our humble and modest but 
nevertheless grand and important specialty. No doubt many points in connection with 
this pap^r will be found deficient from the lack of documents or records to be looked into. 
Again, to write such a history, probably a much older man and above all a much older 
