Evening star., 1940-08-28
Standardized Surgery
For Animals Urged
Al Convention
Veterinarians Study.
Means Of Avoiding
Defense Peril

Defense Peril
Simplification and standardiza-
ton In animal surgery to place this
work on q plane with human sur
gerry was urged before members Of
the American Veterinary Medical
Association today as they contin-
ued a study of methods of pre-
venting animal diseases which might
interfere with national defense.
DR.. D. A. Eastman of Miami, Fla,
president of the American Animal
Hospital Association, told a section
of the A. v. M. AS 77th annual
convention at the Mayflower Ho-
tel that thorough planning and SIM
plification of animal surgery tend
to produce speed without hurry.
Human surgery has long been
standardized, and the techniques of
many operative procedures are
taught and recognized the world
over" ne said. This is desirable
in the surgery of animals. Surgery
is at its best when it is so simplifled
that it looks easy to the observer,
be he trained or unframed in this
field"
Five Sectional Meetings.
DIR. Eastman spoke before a sec
ton on small animals. Today's ses-
sions were divided into five Sec
tional meetings devoted to problems
of small animals, general practice,
research, sanitary science and food
hygiene and poultry.
Veterinarians have found the
X-ray an indispensable instrument
for diagnosing the ills of small ami
mails, DR.. Gerry B. Schnelle, staff
veterinarian of the Angel Memorial
Hospital, Boston, told the small ami
mails section.
Dogs and cats will swallow almost
any small object, he said. Needles
are the most frequent home objects
swallowed by such pets. Because
the papillae on its tongue point
backward. a cat cannot spit out
piece of thread. If a needle hap
pens to be on the other end, that
goes down, too, and becomes lodged
in the throat. Here the X-ray comes
in handy. i
Report on Canine Ailments.
DR.. Schnelle also reported on re-
Gently discovered canine ailments
which previously had been dag
nosed only In man. An ailment
known as Osgood-Schlatters dis
ease, which affects the knee joint
of heavy, rapidly-growing boys, has
been found to cause lameness and
knock-knees in St. Bernards, New
foundlands and Great Danes. In
this and other Affections, only the
x-ray can give the correct diagnosis,
DR.. SchneUe said.
In an interview yesterday, in
which he keynoted the theme of this
years meeting, DR.. CasSius Way,
president of the association, said
the dangers of famine and disease
throughout Europe during the COM
ing winter were more imminent
than most Americans realize.
Emergency killing of thousands Of
cattle, sheep and horses for food in
the countries now at war will result
in an eight-month siege Of hunger
and possible starvation for millions
Of persons, he said.
Malnutrition and Disease.
A shortage of animal food In
countries at war. he said, will result
in malnutrition and disease. Further
damage, he said, is sure to result
from the spread of animal diseases,
some of which can be transmitted to
men.
As examples of how quickly
diseases spread, he said that Poland,
which had not had case of hoof
and mouth disease for more than
100 years, had immediate outbreaks
after the Russian invasion, and that
cattle on the Island of Jersey, which
also had been germ free, developed
the disease merely from the land
ing of German airplanes on its soil.
Following yesterdays session, at
which a number of well-known ami
NAL veterinarians and health ex-
perts were heard on the general
subject of animal supply, breeding
and disease, the meeting was ad-
dressed by DR.. Charles N. Leach,
staff member of the International
Health Division of the Rockefeller
Foundation, Montgomery, Ala.
Aid in Control of Rabies.
DR.. Leach told association mem
bers that canine rabies vaccine can
be a valuable aid in the control Of
rabies. However, he warned that
vaccination should never be relied
upon as the sole means of controll-
ing rabies. 1t must be accompanied
by sanitary police protection meas
ures, which include the killing Of
stray and ownerless dogs. the licens-
ing of all other dogs and the quar-
antining of all dogs brought into
the country.
A high point of today's meeting
of the association will be election
Of officers.
Representative Gillie. Republican,
of Indiana and DR.. Harry w. Jake
man of Boston have been nominated
for the post of president.
Six men have been nominated for
vice presidents: DR.. Claude H. Case,
Akron, Ohio; DR.. w. H. Ivens, Phil
adelphia; DR.. James D. Grossman,
Columbus. Ohio: DR.. Seymour Had