, 1872-12-14

those OF the first order, In 80 far as 1t consti-
tutes branch OF human industry intimately con-
| nected with the wel1-being OF society, few peo-
ple will deny; and, assuming its Importance ns
proven. the question to be submitted is. is it
cared for and cultivated with that solicitude and
earnestness BETTING calling 60 universally in
| Eequisltion7 Most certainly not.
l. Much as it is to be desired that the more es-
sendaly scientific part Of the agricultural course
| be Teu cultivated, great care must be taken not
to neglect those useful, and mistakenly regarded
t hun7ole7, branches, without which the stock Of
agricultural knowledge cannot bo complete.
Much good may be anticipated from the growing
tendency amongst agricultu1ists to acquire 5
tifc and practical knowledge. In this way, ne
shall, in the courso Of tine secure rational
public opinion IN support Of ell that is good and
usefn IN the profession. The ahort-sighted
policy OF keeping farmers in the dark canno! br
too strongly condemned. a few amoteur Vet
eI1nar7ans .: may spring up among regular pra4
titioners; but men Of sound Judgment vi
always resort to professional men IN cases {
ase' sassa estssss Hass c Fl ther T. fact have e.,
lance, and the difhcnlty Of cur art, ]
knowing something about IT. They will anpr,
clate services rendered. Veterinary Science vi
be muck more encouraged when farmers becon
better informed; and + even assert that the a
quirement BY the more intelligent farmers Of E
elementary knowledge Of the Veterinary Art wi
do moro to drive Quacks and empires from dat
bling II Veterinary practice than anything whic!
can be leyelled against thsm.
Therefore, with the exception Of tho f.
whose LOT maybe cast far from the busy haunt
Of man" and on whose own etiu and knowledge
thoir stock may bo dependent for medical treat-
ment, yon will fnd that the chief value Of the
course Of study in Veterinary Science Will be-:
An acquaintance with the frames, forms, and
habits Of our domestic animals; knowledge OF
the principles OF health, and, therefore, Of
disease, which are only notifications Of
i'm o1*n
fezings Of Gods creatures, those placed
lower In the scale OF creation than ourselves;
also, to prevent diseases amongst them, By tha
adoption Of those sanitary measures which the
and, lastly, respect for tho skill Of the edu-
Gated practitioner, End, therefore, IN apprecia-
ton Of the necessity Of an early application for
this help, when the same is not entirely beyond
reach.
It is most singular that Americans, who hare
manifested the greatest activity in The promo
ton OF science and the useful arts, have never
been able to found thoroughly efficient Veteri-
nary College. We number among ourselves hut
lew veterinarians; most ct them-Ve may say
Is it to be wondered at that our live stock are
being CIT down by disease in 8 most disastrous
manner2 Is it to be wondered at that we are
nov ASKING how ne may remedy an evil
which is found to be OF far greater Importance
than We ever before imagined2 Agricultural
stock suffers serious neglect. / venture to as
sert that 80 per cent Of the domestic animals Of
the farm, which suffer from disease throughout
the United States annually, are never seen BY
Veterinarian Surgeons Indeed, the Ignorance
Of those who hare held foremost positions
amongst US, on the subject Of the amount Of dis
ease II the country, can be explained by the fact
that, II We do not search for information regard
ing mortality amongst stock, VIC arenot in the way
OF cleaning it at all. Disease ia raging fright
fully without intermisBion- Truth must prevail
in the end; and no better confirmation Of what
I have said can be obtained than that derived
from the state Of anxiety and alarm which ex-
lists throughout many portions Of our country,
where hog cholera, catt1o-diseases, and mortality
amongst horses, are among the daily records Of
our newspapers.
It Is said that the superiority OF Americans
consists in having the courage to be what Na-
ture made us. How much more ennob1ing to
our character won1d that courage be which could
lead us to value more, and hold priceless, the
acquisition Of sound knowledge We are CON-
pleto men, sometimes complete fools also but
that is something, and has it's weight. There
is too much Of an oyerbearing obstinacy towards
views different from those already accepted;
kind Of wrapping up in q mantle OF mist and
fog OF Ben-manufactu1e; an illberalism which
tells Of being conglomerate without elaboration
Yours, n, h PEAREy, r 8.
CHICAGO, Dec. 10, 1879.