Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1878-04-04
Ii Y I ST OK.
VETERINARY SANITARY REFORM.

National Agricultural Congress at It's re-
cent session in Washington and is by DIR.
n. III. Paaren, Of Chicago, Ill:
1t is not alone to the cultivation of the
soil that agriculture is required to devote
attention: it has also to deal with flocks and
herds, with the preservation of the health
of the animals of the farm, and when dis
ease overtakes them, their restoration to
health by proper means of treatment. The
relation between agriculture and veterinary
art is close and inseparabh,ctheir discon-
nection being alike injurious to both
There is no subject of greater Importance
to the live stock interest of this country,
which is, indeed, one of the leading inter-
ests, thar the veterinary science. Every
year diseases m%ultiplyamong our live stock.
Besides the ordinary any generally known
complaints Of cattle, the Middle and West
ern States especially, have been visited by
the Texan fever and the so called hog chol-
era, and the damage resulting from the raw
ages of these diseases, have been enormous.
While all Europe is alive to the importance
of being prepared to meet any outbreaks of
disease among domestic animals, we Amer
leans, to the establishment of other civil
lied nations, and greatly to our shame. bel
said, have neglected to take steps towards
graduating the prevailing destructive dis
eases among swine, almost amounting to a
plague in its effects, by which the swine
crop has been decimated for years, and
caused an annual loss of millions of dollars
to the farming community. Would such a
state of affairs be tolerated, even for one
year, by any other civilized nation?
1t may be asked, what are our means of
successfully c%ontending against the diseases
that are almost constantly raging, and those
more dreadful maladies that threaten our
focks and herds? We are almOst without
any! Has our government done anything
in the way of aiding or encouraging insuuc-
ton in the only department of knowledge
that can be of service In wardihg off or cur
ing the diseases of domestic animals? Alb
solutely nothing I! While the ranks of every
other profession are crowded, there is q
great scarcity of persons who have the re-
quisite skill and knowledge to treat a sick
domestic animal of any kind. Nowhere do
ignorance and superstition SO show them
selves as in the remedies that are admins
tered to sick animals. No torture was ever
so complete as that inflicted on sick domes-
tic animals by the ignorant quacks who pre-
tend to know how to doctor them. Intelli-
gent humanity revolts at the way diseases
and lameness are treated almost every where
i'll our land and the future historian will
allude to some of the practices of our horse
doctors, to prove that in the year of 1878 we
had not yet entirely emerged from the dark
of affairs was sanctioned, nay, indirectly
aided, by being tolerated, by what is called
the best government the sun ever shone
upon.
The status of veterinary institutions in
Europe, and the esteem in which the science
and art of preventing and curing diseases of
domestic animals, is held by all the leading
nations of Europe, is an example worthy Of
following by US Americans. No course
would be regarded by the people with more
favor, or of which there is greater need.
We have plenty of lawyers, physicians and
ministers, but the paucity of efficient doc
tors of domestic animals is remarkable,
when VIZ think of the urgent demand for
them and the good they might accomplish.
The prevention of spreading diseases
among domestic animals should be regarded
as n political question, us it involves more or
less the well-being of the whole community.
The extension of diseases among live stock,