PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION K. 705 



Some, after trying their luck on the gold-fields, or in other 

 occupations, either returned to their native land or wandered else- 

 where. Among occupations which I have known qualified 

 veterinary surgeons to be engaged in may be mentioned that of 

 gold-digger, squatter, farmer, pound-keeper, trooper, stud-groom, 

 coachman, groom in a cab stable, labourer in a brick-yard, labourer 

 in the cane-fields of Queensland, insurance agent, ship's doctor, 

 police magistrate, chief commissioner of police, member of parlia- 

 ment, and a medical student at the University of Melbourne. 



Yet, in spite of this, empiricism was rampant from a very early 

 period. Every city shoeing forge was styled a " Veterinary Shoe- 

 ing Forge." Cases that were not treated by a qualified veterinary 

 surgeon or a farrier received rough and ready treatment at the 

 hands of the owner or some ofiicious neighbour or were allowed 

 to " rip," if I may use an expression then in vogue. This " rip " 

 treatment consisted in turning a sick nr injured animal out to die 

 or recover, as the case might be. The amount of cruelty inflicted 

 both from commission and omission was truly lamentable. Animals 

 were cheap and easily replaced ; hence the neglect. A decent hack 

 could be bought for from 10s. to £1. The only animals of value 

 were stud animals, race-horses, and carriers' horses. 



Down till 1880, when I arrived in Victoria, there were not 

 more than a dozen qualified veterinary surgeons practising in the 

 whole of Australia. There was not a single veterinary surgeon 

 wholly employed in Government service in any of the States. It 

 is true that veterinary surgeons inspected imported stock, and 

 made occasional investigations into outbreaks of disease on behalf 

 of the respective Governments. A few held honorary positions in 

 the Defence Departments, and a certain amount of veterinary 

 work was done for the Governments in connexion with the Police 

 and Postal Departments, &c. 



Amongst the early pioneer veterinarians the most familiar 

 names are those of the Stewarts and Pottie, in Sydney; Shaw, 

 Miscamble, Vincent, Mitchell, and Marsden, in Melbourne; Snow- 

 ball, in Ballarat ; Park, at Warrnambool ; Rogerson, at Stawell ; 

 and Aked, at Bendigo; Chalwin, Bickford and Horton, Adelaide; 

 and Irvine, Brisbane. Some of these had passed away, and others 

 had not come on the scene at the time I mention. Of course, there 

 were others who practised at various times for a short while in 

 different places, but their names are less familiar, and they can 

 hardly be regarded as pioneers. The former are, however, the 

 names of men which deserve to be handed down to posterity. The 

 fact that they stuck to their profession and outlived all kinds of 

 difficulties, upheld its dignity in every way, and laid a solid foun- 

 dation for those who had to follow entitles them to our resjoect 

 and gratitude. It would have been a pleasing task to have given 

 short biographical sketches of some of these worthies had space 

 permitted, but that must be left to some future occasion. 

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