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American Agriculturist 
THE FARM PAPER THAT PRINTS THE FARM NEWS 
“Agriculture is the Most Healthful, Most Useful and Most Noble Employment of Man”— Washington 
Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Established 1842 
Volume 112 For the Week Ending August 25, 1923 Number 8 
The Passing of the “Hoss” Doctor 
How Modern Veterinary Medicine Aids Farmers to Fight Cattle Diseases 
F EW professions have progressed so 
much in recent years as that of vet¬ 
erinary medicine. We can all re¬ 
member the old-fashioned “hoss Doc¬ 
tor” with his rasp and forceps and his home¬ 
made remedies. He is now distinctly of the 
past; a new type and a new character of man 
has taken his place. The doctor of veterinary 
medicine to-day is a well 
educated, well-t rain e cl 
man. He is what he is 
because of the leadership 
of such men as Dr. James 
Law and Dr. V. A. Moore, 
dean of the New York 
State Veterinary College, 
and because of the ideals 
set for him by his own 
organization, the New 
York State Veterinary 
Medical Society. 
It is fortunate that the 
science of veterinary med¬ 
icine 4 has progressed as it 
has, for with the develop¬ 
ment of the dairy indus¬ 
try and the consequent in¬ 
crease in dairy cows kept 
under artificial conditions 
have come terrible diseases 
which unless controlled 
would sweep our land like 
a scourge. Contagious 
abortion, tuberculosis, 
white scours: What 
farmer is not familiar 
with these dreadful mal¬ 
adies in one form or 
, another? Against- them 
the veterinarians form the 
first and practically only 
line of defense. 
Last week we told of the 
farmer-banker conference 
at Ithaca. It is too bad 
perhaps that the meeting 
of the New York State 
Veterinary Medical So¬ 
ciety might not have in¬ 
cluded also a farmer-vet¬ 
erinarian conference. As 
it was, however, there 
were two days, July 25 
and 26, full of interest to 
the men of the profession. 
The election of officers 
and business session took 
place the first morning. 
Dr. R. W. Gannett of Brooklyn, formerly 
vice president, was elected president; Dr. 
Charles S. Chase of Bay Shore was elected 
vice president. The secretary-treasurer, Dr. 
C. E. Hayden of Ithaca, and the librarian, 
Dr. H. J. Milks of Ithaca, were reelected. 
A number of papers, too technical and sci¬ 
entific to report, were given, dealing largely 
with small-animal practice. “The Trials and 
Tribulations of a Veterinarian’s Wife” as 
told by Mrs. J. L. Wilder of Akron, provided 
an amusing interlude. A number of clinics 
were held and post-mortems orb cattle react- 
By H. E. BABCOCK 
ing to the tuberculin test were conducted by 
Dr. H. B. Leonard of the Federal department. 
As might be expected, the control of 
bovine tuberculosis and the place of the prac¬ 
ticing veterinarian in the program of the 
State and Federal Government constituted 
a leading point of interest. Three .of the 
four resolutions passed dealt with this sub¬ 
ject. Since these resolutions give in the 
most concrete and authoritative fashion the 
sentiments of the veterinary profession on 
this important question they are reproduced 
here verbatim: 
(1) Whereas, the testing of cattle with tuberculin 
and the accrediting of herds is proceeding very slow¬ 
ly, due to the restrictions which place the bulk of 
this' work in the hands of comparatively few official 
veterinarians: 
Whereas, we believe that a work of such magni¬ 
tude as the eradication of bovine tuberculosis cannot 
be carried to a successful conclusion without the co¬ 
operation and active participation of every approved 
veterinarian: 
Be it Resolved by the New York State Veterinary 
Medical Society, in convention assembled, that the 
cooperation of the approved veterinarians is abso¬ 
lutely essential in order that the work of tuberculosis 
eradication may be carried to a successful conclu¬ 
sion, and that the laws, rules, and regulations gov¬ 
erning tuberculosis eradication work should be so 
framed or amended that ac¬ 
credited veterinarians may be 
permitted to cooperate in this 
important work upon the same 
plane as official veterinarians. 
In counties where there is 
a Farm Bureau organization 
we are in favor of their carry¬ 
ing on a campaign of publicity 
and educational work, needed 
for the present and future suc¬ 
cess of the eradication work 
and will co-operate with them 
in so doing. 
(2) Whereas, the preven¬ 
tion and control of infectious 
diseases of livestock is of ne¬ 
cessity a problem for the vet¬ 
erinary profession, and 
Whereas, in New York 
State such disease control is 
by law placed in the hands of 
the Commissioner of Farms 
and Markets under the imme¬ 
diate supervision of the Bu¬ 
reau of Animal Industry, and 
Whereas, the Director of 
such Bureau is not a vet¬ 
erinarian, as is the Director 
of a similar Bureau in the 
United States Department of 
Agriculture; therefore, be it 
Resolved, that the New York 
State Veterinary Medical So¬ 
ciety, in regular session as¬ 
sembled, go on record as being 
in favor of having a compe¬ 
tent veterinarian appointed as 
Director of the Bureau of 
Animal Industry in the State 
of New York; and, be it 
further 
Resolved, that a copy of 
this resolution be mailed at 
once to the Commissioner of 
Farms and Markets at Al¬ 
bany, N. Y., and also that a 
copy be mailed to each Sen¬ 
ator and Assemblyman in the 
State and also to each mem¬ 
ber of the Council of Farms 
and Markets. 
(3) Be it Resolved, that 
this, the New York State 
Veterinary Medical Society, in¬ 
vite the Eastern States to have 
a Tuberculosis Eradication 
Conference to be held in Al- 
.bany, N. Y., some time in 
June, 1924; and 
Be it Further Resolved, that 
a committee from this society 
be appointed by the President to confer with the 
Federal Bureau and the Commissioner of Agricul¬ 
ture of this State to perfect plans for said 
Conference. 
The only formal paper dealing with bovine tuber¬ 
culosis eradication was read by Dr. Charles S. Chase 
of Bay Shore. Space will not permit more than a 
few quotations: 
“The rapid eradication of tuberculosis throughout 
the country would be furthered if the accredited 
veterinarians were put on a par with State and 
Federal veterinarians as to the amount of indemnity 
paid to owners for condemned cattle.” 
. “The duty devolves upon the veterinary profes¬ 
sion to inaugurate a vigorous campaign of educa- 
(Continued on page 130) 
This picture is taken from the June, 1875, issue of American Agriculturist. It is a good 
illustration to Mr. Babcock’s article on this page because it shows the great advance veteri¬ 
nary science has made over the methods of the “Cow Doctor” of fifty Years ago. The edi¬ 
tor of the American Agriculturist in those days commented on the above picture, in part, 
as follows: T,he above picture tells its own story. The travelling cow doctor has come 
across a credulous, ignorant farmer who'has a sick cow. Perhaps the animal has been fed 
on straw or cornstalks, and shows by her tight skin, her arched back, her rough coat and 
miserable appearance that she has been neglected. Careful nursing is all she needs. But 
that is too simple a remedy and the cow. doctor makes the farmer believe that his cow has 
some dangerous disease. A pailful of f\lthy mixture is poured down the cow’s throat and she 
is ordered to be fed a warm mash or some boiled oats. Some of the best hay is procured for 
her. By and by she recovers. Of course, the physic and the cow doctor get the credit for 
the cure, while the better food and care which really deserves it, gets none. If a cow dies 
in consequence of the dose, the result is laid to the disease, and not to the quack 
