The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1898-04-09

OF Interest to Stock Breeders.
The Gazette has received the
following communication which ex-
plains itself. DIR. w. H. Dalrymple
is professor Of veterinary science at
the State University, and the ex-
Perience acquired in that capacity
fully qualities him to give his views.
No doubt, this question will be Of
interest to many of our readers.
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
A. AND NJ. COLLEGE.
BATON ROUGE, March 81, 1898.
DEAR SlR:-The Live Stock in
terests of Louisiana, and the rest
Of the Gulf States, are becoming
day by day of greater value through
the importation of pure bred strains
of the different varieties of farm
animals. Our people are awaken
ingito the importance of this valuable
branch of agricultural industry in
the South, and it is one which
should be encouraged and fostered.
Besides the money involved in stock
breeding and raising, as special
enterprise, there is an enormous
amount of capital represented by
the animals necessary for the CARY
ing on of the work of our planta-
tons and farms; and to be able to-
subserve our live stock interests, by
instituting modern and intelligent
measures for the preservation of
animal health and life, and rational
and humane methods for the treat
ment and eradication of disease,
would doubtless be hailed with sa-
tisfaction and delight by every in
dividual in Louisiana. With the
exception of but few localities in
the State this line of work is in
the hands of individuals who are in
no way fitted, either by education
or medical training, to treat the in
juries and diseases of live stock IN
other than an empirical manner.
The veterinary profession of to-day
has taken rank as one Of the learned
professions, and it is recognized,
in the Old World and in the more
advanced sections of our own coun-
try, as indispensable, not only with
regard to the purely medical and
surgical part Of the work, as applied
to animals alone, but as conservers
Of the public health, in the identifi-
cation, control and determination
Of animal maladies that are commu-
nicable to the human family.
I am of the opinion that if
number of our young men were fully
equipped with a thorough veterin-
airy medical education, and after
wards located in practice through
out the differen: sections Of this and
the other Gulf States, their influ-
ence for good, in a professional way,
would be inestimabte. The oppor-
tunity for such an education could
be afforded. and without great ad-
dit;onal expenditure, by the institu-
ton Of a regular Department Of
Veterinary Medicine in connection
with our State University and 4.
and NJ. College at Baton Rouge.
This course would be of great ad-
vantage, also, to young men de-
sirous of following the practice Of
human medicine, who, if possessed
of degree in both branches Of
medical science, would not on only
have their knowledge of the general
subject of medicine increased, but
their value, as practitioners in rural
districts, would be greatly enhanced.
Up to the present, SO far as I am
| aware, there is 70 regular school Of
veterinary medicine in any of the
Southern States.
I am DESTROYS of obtaining ex-
pressions of opinion on this subject,
and will be glad to have yours, as
to the probable benefit the State
would derive from the institution Of
such a department in connection
with the University; the need Of
the State for veterinary graduates
and the value of such department
to the University itself.
An early reply will be appre-
ciat ed.
Very respectfully yours,
w. H. DALRYMPLE.