318 THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE VETERINARY SCHOOLS. 



for one school. There are unquestionably men of practical ability at 

 these schools, but they are of that empirical character that does not 

 advance science an inch, but, with a terrible reverence for the tra- 

 ditions of the past, stand obstinately in the way of progress, and by a 

 great display of verbose repetition of other people's work, make the 

 world think they know more than they really do. If there is a man I 

 fear, as an enemy to my profession, though personally he may be a 

 good friend, it is the man of great experience, of great reverence for 

 the past, of good talking abilities, but without a particle of origi- 

 nality or scientific spirit. Such men are more fitted for political 

 intriguers than teachers at a scientific school.) 



After this diversion, let us return to Feser's remarks : 

 " Under the above retarding conditions, it is no wonder that 

 progress was checked, and all sorts of complaints found ready utter- 

 ance. The agricultural papers and the organs of the state opened 

 up the subject continually, complaining of the insufficiency of the 

 veterinary profession in comparison with the demands which were 

 made upon it. The reflecting Bavarian veterinarians again joined 

 hands with the above-named forces, and loudly demanded reform 

 both in the manner of instruction and a more exacting preparatory 

 education. The battle for the improvement of the school finally 

 found its way into the Chamber of Representatives (1861), and re- 

 sulted in a free offering of means to help on the purpose. But, in- 

 stead of making a thorough reform, they contented themselves with 

 all sorts of corrective regulations. They burnished up the roof of the 

 school and whitewashed the facades, instead of beginning anew and 

 laying a solid and enduring foundation. New professors were 

 added to the old, until the school had eight, which was more than 

 any other school in Europe. The clinic was improved, and many 

 other innovations made. Finally, the director was changed, but not 

 the system of instruction. The matriculatory examination still re- 

 mained the same ; the entire weight of instruction in the natural 

 sciences had to be borne by one man, who was at first without as- 

 sistance or sufficient material support, and at the same time had to 

 lecture on other strictly technical subjects. Physiology, the very 

 foundation of scientific medicine, was lectured upon in only two 

 sessions, before even the lectures on the natural sciences were ended, 

 and therefore lacked the necessary basis. Empiricism in the hos- 

 pital still continued. Microscopic practice was begun, but very im- 

 perfectly, and so was it with everything at this school as well as the 

 other German schools." 



The cause of all these difficulties is easy of discovery. Pro- 



