Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-13
LEGISLATION NEEDED
Health Officers Suggestions
About Veterinary Practice.
THE COMMERCIAL VIEW
ENACTMENT OF LAW IMPERA-
lively NECESSARY.
Licenses to Veterinarians and Co.
Operation With Boards in the
States Recommended.
THE COMMERCIAL VIEW

In his report to the Commissioners on the
proposed bill to regulate veterinary prac-
tice in the District of Columbia, as trans
mitted to Congress recently DR.. Wood
ward. the health officer. gives an interest
Ing account of the duties of Veterinarians
and the need Of measure regulating the
practice in this Jurisdiction a"f3 fa% 2
Laws regulating the practice of vetert-
nary medicine" he says. have been en-
acted in California, Illinois. Maryland.
Michigan. Minnesota, New Jersey. New
York. North Dakota, Ohio. Pennsylvania,
Virginia and Wisconsin, and possibly other
states. In the District of Columbia, how
ever, such practice Is absolutely unre-
stricted. AS a consequence incompet mt
practitioners Of veterinary medicine, driven
from other Jurisdictions, are likely to locate
In this District. If, therefore,. it Is desir-
able to exclude incompetent veterinary sur
geonS from the District Of Columbia legs-
lation directed to that end must be enacted
and the question to the propriety of the
enactment Of such legislation resolves into
the question whether the restriction by law
of the right to practice veterinary medi-
cine is necessary for the protection of the
community at large or of Individual men,
bers Of 1t. In other words whether the
community as such or individual members
OF the community have sufficient means at
present with which to protect themselves
against injury due to incompetence on the
part of veterinary surgeons or to secure re-
dress for such injury as may result there
from.
Commercial Aspect. -
1.-The relations which exist between a vet
Urinary surgeon and the person whom he
serves have primarily commercial aspect
The animal which he is called upon to treat
is merely personal property the injury or
InCc 81 r. lob 10,
for by an award in money. For any such
loss sustained through the ignorance or IN
skil-fulness of a veterinary surgeon the per-
son aggrieved has Il sufficient remedy, at
least to the extent tc which the veterinary
surgeon Is financially able to make good
such judgment as may be rendered against
him. In any case, Of course. whether a
veterinary surgeon be licensed or not licens-
ed, a citizen employing him must determine
for himself the financial responsibility of
such surgeon.
There are. however. certain injuries LA
Bile to result from the incompetence of vet
Urinary surgeons for which no sufficient re-
dress has been or can be provided, and 1t is
for the prevention of these injuries that it
becomes necessary for the state to deter
mine the qualifications of wouid-be practi-
TONERS of veterinary medicine. Among in
juries of this kind may be mentioned cases
In which an award In money might afford
adequate compensation. but the eyid
necessary to warrant such an award can
not ordinarily be obtained. and the extent
of the damage, proXimate and remote, is
liable to be far beyond the ability Of any
ordinary veterinary surgeon to pay. An
other class of cases Is that which involves
the loss of human life; such loss, of course
no money can make good. Erroneous dag
noses due to Incompetence on the part of
veterinary surgeons may precipitate upon
the community outbreaks of communicable
diseases such, for instance, as foot and
mouth disease, CHAMBERS. rabies. etc. In so
far as such outbreaks may result in loss
in the individual herd or kennel Of the per-
son who in the first place employed such
veterinary surgeons civil suit based mall
practice might afford redress.