The Dickinson press., 1902-09-13

Veterinarians
Keep Abreast with Progress.
Prominent Member of the Profession Re-
sents Editorial Disparagement and
Brings Proof of Great Good
Accomplished.
Some time ago, when the army reor-
ganization bill was before Congress and
when the particular clause regarding
the establishment of veterinary corps
was up for discussion, a leading paper
undertook in its editorial columns to dis
courage the passage of that portion of
the bill.
In doing S o the author of the article
showed very clearly his lakewood ignc-
rance Of, and his equal prejudice to, the
veterinary profession.
Although an army veterinary corps
may have many unfavorable and unde-
sirable aspects, it likewise has its COM
mendations, and even if it should have
had nothing beneficial at all, that writer
had no occasion for attacking the men,
bers OF the veterinary profession as he
did, proclailning it a ~dishonorable pro-
%fession, and sarcastically and u%nnecessa-
rily belittleing it in comparison to the
human practice of medicine.
Such articles continually harass the
veterinary of today from bringing up
his profession to the highest footing.
The human medical profession once
passed through the same stage the veter-
mary profession is 10Y experiencing.
The country was ono flooded with hui
man quacks, and a remnant of those in
dividuals are found scattered here and
there to the present time.
1t was by legislation that the human
quack was driven out by men who grad
uated from reputable medical schools.
A number of the more advanced states
have likewise begun to legislate against
the veterinary "quack." Many states
now require all examination before a
competent board Of veterinary medical
examiners. The examination is very
rigid in one states and the problems
that are common to man and animal are
as dificnlt as those propounded by hui
man medical examining boards.
STAMP OUT PEST
Few know that the veterinarians were
the only persons in the world who were
able to stamp out a great scourge in this
country, namely, contagious pleural
pneumonia of cattle. In 1884 this ex-
ceptionally rapid contagion spread from
one end of the United States to the 9TH
err, threatening to exterminate the bovine
species.
The veterinarians promptly went to
work, backed by national legislation,
and conquered the disease so that since
1892 not a single case has been discover
ed.
The veterinarians also stamped out a
venereal disease Of horses known as
dourine or NAL de colt.
The veterinarians have obtained legis-
lation for quarantine regulations for a
ninety-day period Of all animals import
ed into this country and have thus pre-
vented the introduction of various Euro
pean maladies, as contagious foot and
mouth diseases, pleural pneumonia and
rinderpest. The latter carried away on
the continent of Europe at one time 2oo,-
900 head Of cattle, at another $1,000, etc.
The veterinarians are guarding north
ern cattle from becoming infected with
a dread disease known as Texas fever,
and the transporting Of the infective
agent, the Texas fever tick. Investiga-
tons of this disease brought out the fact
that the disease was caused by a tick,
the Boophilus bowls or annulatus, which
deposited the infective and destructive
parasite, the pyrosoma bigemmimum,
into the blood of cattle. This led to sim
liar Investigations of a horse disease in
South Africa, a sheep disease along the
Mediterranean, and the common mala-
ria of man, the latter found to be associ-
ated with the mosquito.
The quarantine regulations against
CHAMBERS in horses are due to the agita-
tons of veterinarians. This scourge can
be transmitted to man by various means,
by contact with a scratch or wound on
the skin, with the virus left on fences or
wherever the horse may rest his nose, or
even by riding behind an infected ami
NAL.
This is true also Of legislation for the
inspection of the food products of ami
mails.
1t is possible to trim up carcasses so
that the naked eye cannot discern any
thing wrong, yet they may be literally
saturated with the virulent germs OF
consumption which can be transmitted
from animals to man.
Many cases of the so called cholera
infantum are nothing more or less than
intestinal tuberculosis caused by drink
ing the milk from diseased tubercular
| COWS.
Veterinarians of the United States bu-
reau Of animal industry are stationed in
England for the purpose of testing fine,
pure bred stock which is intended for
expectation to this country. thus pre-
venting in the start the introduction into
our agricultural industries animals which
will hand down to posterity the tenden-
cies and predispositions to contract the
disease and to transmit it actually by
contact with other high-grade stock.
| With animals, as with man, disease is no
respecter of aristocrat or peasant, of rich
| or Door. of good or bad, of prize winner