121- HisToracAL account of the veterinary department of 



accommodate the convenience of students attending the Agricul- 

 tural class in the University. Dr Barclay, in suhmitting a 

 report of the result of this course, which consisted of fifty 

 lectures, to the General Meeting in July 1825, stated, in strong 

 terms, his sense of the advantages which must arise from the 

 establishment of such lectures in Scotland. He observed that, 

 owing to the expense of attending the Veterinary College in 

 London, or the subject having heretofore attracted little attention 

 in Scotland, it appeared that very few regularly bred Veterinary 

 surgeons had as yet settled in this country ; it was satisfactory, 

 however, to find that at this course the number of practical 

 farriers had been greater than had attended in the former year, 

 and as the lecturer had applications to recommend farriers for 

 three districts which could not be supplied, it was obvious that 

 the subject was attracting more attention. The Doctor urged 

 the expediency of the Society's still continuing to patronise the 

 lectures, and added that he had no doubt that some of the 

 medical gentlemen of Edinburgh, if applied to, would readily 

 agree to examine the students at the termination of the course 

 as to their practical knowledge of comparative anatomy, and the 

 certificate of such examination would be a satisfactory guarantee 

 of the farrier's qualifications for practice. Sir John Hope con- 

 curred with Dr Barclay in the importance of tlie lectures, and 

 recommended their continuance, which was agreed to. 



The committee being of opinion that some further measures 

 should be taken to call the attention of local agricultural societies 

 to the importance of the lectures, and with that view advertised 

 them in the provincial newspapers, and circulated the following 

 notice regarding the subject : — 



" Highland Society' Hall, 

 Edinburgh, July 28, 1825. 



" Sir, — I am desired by the Directors of the Highland Society of Scotland, 

 in terms of a Eesolntion adopted at their meeting on the 29th of June last, 

 to request the attention of your Society, and of the Noblemen, Landowners, 

 and Farmers in your district, to a very important but much neglected 

 branch of rural affairs. 



" It is too well known to require illustration, that the treatment of Horses 

 and Cattle under disease is lamentably defective in almost every part of 

 Scotland. By much the greater number of Farriers and Cow-doctors pur- 

 chase or inherit a set of receipts which are administered in all cases, and 

 frequently without any correct idea either of the anatomical structure of 

 the animal, the effect of the medicine, or the probable nature and seat of 

 the disease. The consequences are obvious ; many valuable animals are 

 annually sacrificed to ignorance ; and where nature effects a cure, the recipe 

 administered acquires very unmerited celebrity. 



" It is obvious that Scotland cannot too soon get rid of this unworthy 

 reproach ; and the Highland Society having turned their attention to the 

 subject, feel much satisfaction in recommending the School of Veterinary 

 Surgery established in Edinburgh during the last two years, by Mr William 

 Dick, under their patronage and support. 



