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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



he might catch the proper attitude for his picture. 

 But Professor Spooner has done well to put us on our 

 guard against the advance of such habits, at the same 

 time that he calls upon one of the most laudable of our 

 Institutions to join with him in altogether suppressing 

 them elsewhere. 



A word more upon this. Has not France a Humane 

 Society of her own ? And if so, would not any inter- 

 ference or expostulation promise to be much more effi- 

 cient if offered by the French to their own countrymen 

 tlian it could be by any other deputation that we might 

 send over ? There would with the latter be a certain 

 sort of prejudice; a feeling, perhaps, of undue dicta- 

 tion to contend with, that would militate much against 

 the object. And, if we mistake not, there must 

 be such a Society in Paris, the attention of which has 

 only to be duly called to the abuse. At the Highland 

 Show at Aberdeen, in 1858, a French gentleman, of 

 the name of Dutrone, was introduced with some cere- 

 mony as the Secretary for the French Society for the 

 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He was in Scot- 

 land pursuing the laudable aim of that Association, and 

 encouraging the breed of polled cattle; which, from 

 (heir absence of horns, struck him as being an espe- 

 cially harmless race of animals. The gold medal of 

 the French Society is, indeed, still continued on the 

 North Country prize-sheet. The very forcible question 

 that arises here is — Might not M. Dutrone be better 

 employed at home in inspecting the schools of Lyons 

 and Alfort, than in maintaining his mistaken philan- 

 thropy amongst us ? And is not this the direction in 

 which Professor Spooner should enforce his applica- 

 tion ? It would come here with the best of introduc- 

 tions ; and the brave and merciful task he has under- 

 taken would be set about, shorn of many of its 

 difficulties and discouragements. 



INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



BY PROFESSOR SPOONER. 



The opening of the Session took place on Monday> 

 October 8, when there were present — Professors Spooner, 

 Simond8, Varnell, and Teuson; J. Wilkinson, Principal 

 Veterinary Surgeon to the Army, and President of the Cor- 

 poration ; E. N. Gabriel, Secretary to the Corporation ; 

 Messrs. Robinson, Field, Pritchard, Harpley, Gresley, Car- 

 lesa, AVithers, Poet, Woodger, and many other senior mem- 

 bers of the Profession, the audience being larger than on 

 any previous occasion. 



The following is a full report of the address dehvered by 

 Professor Spooner : — 



Gentlemen,— To-day, at this, our Alma-Mater, we com- 

 mence our session of 1860-61, and J am delighted to greet 

 jou all on this occasion-. My position here, as delivering 

 this introductory address, considering that I have now been 

 a teacher in, or connected with this institution, for a period 

 extending over thirty years, is in some sense a matter of 

 routine ; and yet the presence of so many whose faces I 

 see for the first time reminds me that I have new elements 

 to deal with, and new responsibihties to undertake. To 

 my young friends,, whom this day and this event more 

 especially belong, I would say, you are tiie successors of a I 



line of pupils, to whom we can gratefully point back as 

 having left a living memory of science, and a lasting spirit 

 of study and attention within these walls ; whom also we 

 can single forth from many an honoured position in the 

 world, from many a far scene and distant cUme ; and of 

 whom we can proudly say to you, There ! these sterling 

 men once sat in your places ; let their example bmn withia 

 you towards what is noble and true, and let whatever is un- 

 worthy in you be rebuked by the consciousness that you are 

 the inheritors and guardians of the fair professional fame of 

 such predecessors. 



To those who are here for the first time, the proceedings 

 of tills day must doubtless have a great interest, be deeply 

 engraven on the memory, and probably surpass in import- 

 ance those of many a preceding dayof more stirring events; 

 attention and curiosity are awake to the beginning of a new 

 career, and tlie feelings are warm and impressible to the 

 subject ; penuit me then to take advantage of this favour- 

 able opportunity, to strilce while the iron is hot, to arm 

 your curiosity with fresh means of improvement, and to 

 fortify your good resolves from my experience and by my 

 friendly counsel. Recollect that you are the depositories 

 of the hopes of a whole professional circle, and each of you 

 place your teacher under a responsibility, so far as in them 

 lies, to inaugurate you sound and strong into the organiza- 

 tion of that chcle whose parts you are to constitute, whose 

 usefulness you are to amplify, and whose humanity, spirit, 

 and science you are, to the best of your ability, to cultivate 

 and extend. Bear in mind that your profession stands 

 around you, to watch and to hail the bright resolves with 

 which you enter upon your first day's duty ; and last, not 

 least, the gathered and tender hopes of your families and 

 your homes, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters, have 

 flown here before you, and hover around you as a spiritual 

 protective shield against the effects of the evil temptations 

 of this vast metropolis. Are you not then surrounded by 

 a vital atmosphere, which tends in all its pressure to incite 

 you to be consistent with the excellence of your calling, and 

 with the hopes of a professional generation,;which, though 

 passing away in itself, looks to be immortalized in you and 

 those who are to come after you? You are come here to 

 learn the veterinary art, and the sciences on which it 

 reposes. 



The " practice of your profession," gentlemen, is what may 

 be termed tho " veterinary art ;" and of this you must lay 

 the foundation by an unwearied observation of the practice 

 of the college. Doubtless many of you have already had 

 some experience in practice ; you will, however, within these 

 walls enjoy frequent opportunities of extending your 

 knowledge in this department of your professional study. 

 You will be able to profit by the remarks and practice of 

 your professors ; and by taking notes, and comparing them 

 among yourselves, of the cases under treatment in the In- 

 firmary, and participating with your teachers in their feel- 

 ings of responsibility as to the well-doing of the patients, 

 you will also be materially benefited. Let me entreat you 

 diligently to cultivate that faculty of observation with 

 which you are all endowed ; and very important for this 

 purpose you wiU find punctuality in your attendance here. 

 A punctual pupil gives the first evidence of a determina- 

 tion to learn : he loses no opportunity, but watches the 

 cases from day to day, and, leaving out nothing which ex- 

 perience can teach him, carries away a bright copy of it 

 deeply engrafted on his mind, and useful for his future 

 career in life. Therefore, gentlemen, I counsel you to be 

 punctual in your attendance on the instructions given in the 

 College. If there be any pupil who now hears me, and 



