The American College of Theriogenologists

The American College of Theriogenologists David E. Bartlett, D. V.M., Ph.D. President Beginning about 20 years ago, at most A VMA has been sponsored by the animal scientists for two meetings, there were usually informal "bull" decades. sessions involving veterinarians interested in repro It was recognized that our area of veterinary duction. In the late 50's-the Rocky Mountain Bull medicine needed a new identity. We weren't any Testing Society got under way, evolving sub longer veterinary obstetricians. The words sequently into the American Veterinary Society "gynecology" and "andrology" have been used in for the Study of Breeding Soundness. This Society the veterinary colleges of Europe. But, the validity has been sponsoring annual or semi-annual educa of these terms is open to question because in the tional programs separately and in conjunction with original Greek, andros means man and not male and theAVMA. gynos means woman and not female, especially not When the A VMA began to encourage male and female animals, respectively. Con specialty groups within veterinary medicine by sultation with an expert on medical terminology helping them to organize and then recognizing whose expertise derives from the classical them as Colleges or Boards, it was quite logical for languages, resulted in proposal of the term "therio the breeding soundness group to request recog genology." This isn't a very hard word to say and it nition by petition to the Board on Veterinary is really quite a useful word. It is a precise word Specialties of the Council on Education of the and a word soundly founded in its Greek roots. A VMA. However, proposed constitutions were If you search medical dictionaries you '11 find found not acceptable and recognition was not the word "theriatrics" as a synonym definition of 0 "'O granted, repeatedly, over a period of several years veterinary medicine. (D for a variety of reasons. It became apparent that "Theriotherapy" is defined as treatment of ~ ~ the differences were irreconcilable. animals. The word "therioanthromorphic" illus (") (D 00 In the spring of 1970, an organizing com trates very nicely the meaning of the "therio" root 00 mittee formed to determine what would be because the Greeks applied the term in describing 0........ 00 ,-+- necessary to gain AVMA recognition for a specialty the centaur, which was half man and half animal. "'i group in animal reproduction and to endeavor to The Greeks used the root "therio" to differentiate ~ bring such an organization in to being. beast from man. Of course, the word "gen" means ~...... 0 After accepting that the established recogni creation or reproduction. Theriogenology readily p tion standards of the Board on Veterinary rolls off one's tongue after saying it ten times and Specialties were very high and recovering from a it really is no more difficult than, for example, challenge as to whether reproduction constituted a anesthesiology. definable area of clinical veterinary medicine of Curricwa vitae were prepared by each elected sufficient magnitude to justify recognition ( as do Charter Diplomat.e and they were submitted early pathology, public health, laboratory animal in 1971 to the Board on Veterinary Specialties medicine, radiology, microbiology, toxicology, along with a revision of Constitution. These surgery and ophthalmology), the status of this area do cumen ts were passed to the Council on Educa of vet.erinary medicine was analyzed. tion for action and reaction and ultimately, in What to call the specialty group was a August 1971, at Detroit, The American College of problem. A proposed name was: The American Theriogenologists received probationary approval Veterinary College of Animal Reproduction. Both by the A VMA 's House of Delegat.es. the words _"veterinary" and "animal" appeared, Following is a section of the Constitution of accomplishing the essential clarity at a cost of special interest to the American Association of redundance. -Additionally, the phrase "animal re Bovine Practitioners: production" had been substantially preempted by "Section 1. The purposes of the College shall our colleagues in animal science. There are "Labo be the advancement of knowledge, undergraduat.e, ratories of Animal Reproduction" within several graduate and postgraduat.e education, research~ and animal science departments of universities. A service in theriogenology by: (1) the establishment "Biennial Symposium on Animal Reproduction" of a certifying agency to recognize vet.erinarians as 45 specialists in theriogenology, (2) the encourage tion of competence of veterinary practitioners in ment of scientific investigation and research and theriogenology." the reporting of these, ( 3) the development of Special attention is called to the very specific continuing education methods and programs for constitutional commitments toward the practi disseminating information to and increasing tioner of veterinary medicine which are intended knowledge of all veterinarians, especially practi to fulfill .the intent and desire of recognition and tioners, ( 4) the development of graduate study and certification of eompetence of veterinary practi residency programs, ( 5) the establishment of high tioners in theriogenology. standards and guidelines for professional attain It is the sincere hope of the Charter Diplo ment and specialization. mat.es that the College can be made a useful and "Section 2. The College shall evince a dedi actively functioning organization, that it will unify cated commitment toward the practitioner of our area of veterinary medicine, and that "therio veterinary medicine _and shall develop special pro genology" will become a more readily recognizable ce_dures for evaluation, recognition, and certifica- and definable specialty within veterinary medicine. The Future of A.I. W. H. Dreher, D. V.M. Shawano, Wisconsin Artificial insemination of all species has a increase the number of offspring produced by the future of continual expansion and enlargement superior parents. Fertilized eggs from these matings 0 "'O from what we have today. Since this is a "bovine will be recovered from the superior female's (D practitioner" conference, we will confine our oviduct and preserved for future transplant into ~ ~ thoughts of the future to the bovine species. The less desirable females who serve only as incubators. (") (D first 35 years of progress have provided a firm Estrus synchronization and/or ovulation 00 foundation on which future changes and improve control will be a common practice. Fertility of 00 0........ these inseminations will be equal to present day 00 ments can be mad~. The relatively new science of ,-+- cryobiology will make possible the storage of germ fertility at natural estrus; thus, a more economical '"i plasm in different ways than we know today. The and efficient use of A.I. ~ ~...... only reason for A.I. and its main objective is The emphasis for the future will be on 0 bringing about genetic improvement of larger performance records and economically important p numbers of herds than can be accomplished by characteristics, with minor emphasis on breed lines natural service, due · to the relatively limited or bloodlines. Crossbreeding will become more number of females that can be mated to the few common and~will be based ·on blood type records - genetically sul)erior males. Here is what I see as and sound genetic principles rather than our some of the developments. present day "printer's ink," "pie in the sky" Future superior germ plasm will be located by promis~ and "eyeballing." New breeds economi means of blood type records and analysis. Future cally superior to the ones we know today will matings will be made by matching blood type result. patterns to concentrate the desirable characteristics Artificial insemination must provide equal for type and/or production. This "tool of the fertility to natural service, with semen containing future" will eliminate the transmission of relatively few sperm, with semen readily available undesirable recessive characteristics if. the A.I. regardless of the location of the donor sire, and be industry and the breed organizations will recognize produced by a sire known to be free of diseases and exercise their responsibilities. The information transmissible by the semen. necessary to accomplish this will be computerized Fertility of sperm produced by a given bull and available to all people involved. This is in will be tested chemically or cytologically to predict contrast to our present day "hit and miss" or the fertility of each ejaculate before it is used. This "personal preference" methods that result in will make possible the culling of substandard relatively few superior individuals and thus ·results samples with the result of higher fertility per in slow genetic progress. insemination. Sex ratio control of the sperm accompanied Freeze dried sperm, for resuspension prior to by super-ovulation of the female will further insemination, will utilize fewer sperm for each 46 .

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