The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-11-28

toward the execution of his plans, We trust
that this introduction to the essay will be pro-
ductivc of good results.
| The subject is one that cannot be kept in
allegiance much longer. Within few years
| Veterinary Medicine will loom up in its broad
proportions, and astonish mankind that the
world should have existed so long without it..
When we are told, from actual statistics, how
| many millions of dollars worth of the domes-
tic animals in the United States annually die
| from absolutely preventable diseases, as well
as from those that are durable, the thought
should not only occasion surprise and alarm,
| but should awaken each of us to sense of re-
| sponsibiity, and to Il feeling of criminal
neglect Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
| now presents the largest and most profitable
| field of all the various departments of knowl-
| edge, for the labors of young men of ability
| and energy; and now is the time to enter it..
The early cleaners will reap the richest re-
ward.
1t is highly important that the Veterinary
| profession, yet to be developed, should be
| placed upon a proper foundation for its future
superstructure, and in obtaining this solid
basis much more will depend upon the friend
yintiuences and aid of the medical profession
| than upon any other class. 1t is our duty to
extend the helping hand TO our associates in
comparative pathology. The same qualities
that combine to make good physician in the
human family, are all needed for the physician
who devotes his exclusive attention to the
diseases of the inferior animals. And in SO
far as the responsibility of the two professions
tf they can be separated at ALL lis concerned,
we are unable TO make any distinction what
ever. The responsibility of all professions or
callings depends entirely upon the character,
standing and education of those who practice
ELL 'ln n,,,,, pl,
have the same preliminary education, and the
same natural abilities that are required to
make a good, kind-hearted, and conscientious
physician among men.
hemcdical profession, proper, is now over
run with very inferior grade of practition-
ers. The ancient boundaries which formerly
hedged in the profession from the intrusion
of unqualified and incapable aspirants, by its
requirements for a very thorough education,
high moral qualities, and quite a considerable
monied investment, have, within the last half
century, been almost wholly removed as re-
CARDS many of the medical schools, at least
Almost any young man, we grieve to say, can
now obtain medical diploma at some of the
Colleges, without education, without moral
character and without money, sans every
thingw This is amentable fact, but still
it lisa fact 1t is to be hoped that higher
qualifications will in the near future be re-
CURED
Since our remarks upon the importance Of
inducing young men to devote their attention
to the study and practice of Veterinary medi-
cine delivered before this Society one year
ago and briefly published in THE H5gis d M
bljigcHccr, and in the Philadelphia Nedical and
SuyicM Rep0rtcr, the very best weekly medi
cal journal that we have any knowledge of,
especially valuable to the country practitioner,
a very excellent editorial has appeared in that
journal August 8, 1879, entitled: "Netcrina-
ry Medicine as Il Career for Young Men
This editorial was based, as is stated by its
writer, on a Pamphlet entitled: An Appeal
to the Citizens of Pennsylvania for the
the University of Pennsylvania" We have
not seen the appeal itself, but will pro-
coed TO give some of the Editors remarks
based upon it. The writer begins by stating
"This Appeal is timely, able, and ought to be
promptly successful 1t sets forth in strong,
almost startling, language the necessity for an
improved condition of Veterinary Science in
the United States, on grounds at once human
itarian and economical and also the advantage
to young men of this country in thus opening
to them career new, bcnciiccnt and profit
able" The writer then proceeds to state that,
"In 1870 the money value Of the live stock of
the United States was appraised at little
less than 50 ,000, 100000, two thousand millions
of dollars. The most experienced stock
owners estimate the loss annually from pre-
vcntable and durable diseases at from ? TO 7
per cent, in other words, at from forty million
to two hundred and forty million dollars every
year,
This is truly stupendOus loss TO contcm-
plate; and is especially startling from the fact
that it all results from prcvcntablc and from
durable diceascs
The author continues: Hog Cholera
alone, a distinctly prcventable disease, taxes
the Mississippi Valley at from $50 100000 to
$40,000,000 almost every year. The loss in the
single State of New York from epidemic
abortion in COWS has reached as high as S10,-
100000 in a single year. The cpizooty i'll
horses, in each of its several visits to the Uni
ted States, has been estimated to have reduced
the national wealth over $j0,000000. The i'm
mense interests involved in our shipments of
live horses, cattle and sheep to Europe stand
in hourly peril of destruction, from the dread
of European powers at having epidemic dis
eases introduced there. These are but a small
part of the facts and figures which the APP
peal before us marshals to prove the urgent
call for immediate and thorough instruction
in Veterinary Science in this country"
In the second place, the writer refers to the
humanitarian aspect of the subject, remark
ing, me prevention OF suhering III 'ne lower
ANIMALS as princ'ple OF morals Is glorious
development ofmodern civilization; it broad
ems sympathy to al VINO can ieei; II extends
charity to the alienation OF every form OF
suffering, ana IL does so, not out OF superstl-
ton but from growth OF purely ethical con
slderations. Hence 1t Is that the Socielics FOR
the Prevention OF cruelty TO Animals nave
taken an active participation IN lhe 1irtner-
ance OF the study OF Veterinary Medicine,
Further ON tue writer adds: me Appeal
most justly stlgmatizes the sort OF contempt
with which the profession OF Veterinary
Science is regarded in the United States. 1t
reminds the reader ihat III Europe 'he eau
nod lac u man pf Science. that men of nAgitiOn