20 INTRODUCTION 



of English people in other parts of the world. In India, on 

 the contrary, informal choti haziri, the ladies' room at the 

 club, and the assembling of everyone at band-stand or Mall 

 in the evening, are pleasures known only to a better grade 

 of Britisher. 



Mr. Goodall, who was the son of the famous Belvoir 

 huntsman, worked like a slave in attending his equine 

 patients, had the confidence and custom of every horseowner 

 within reach, lived economically, rarely gave himself a 

 holiday, and died comparatively poor ; because he did not 

 set a sufficient value on his services, refrained from dunning 

 his customers, and would not make unjust charges. In 

 England, horsey men as a rule admire medicine and despise 

 advice. Hence, unless a veterinary surgeon trades on the 

 ignorance of his clients, he has but a small chance of earning 

 a comfortable livelihood. Mr. Goodall's case reminds me of 

 a young veterinary surgeon who had just begun practice, and 

 was full of the dignity of the profession and all that sort of 

 thing, being asked by a poor carrier to treat a horse of his 

 which was ill. The unsordid one, seeing that there was 



o 



nothing really the matter with the animal, which was suffering 

 only from a temporary fit of choking, caused in harness by 

 the pressure of a too tightly-fitting collar, and wishing to 

 make a good impression, told the man that all he had to do 

 was to keep the horse quiet for the remainder of the day, and 

 that it would be perfectly well on the following morning. 

 The man having asked how much he had to pay, and hearing 

 that no charge would be made for such a trifling matter, 

 went off without even saying "Thank you." A week after- 

 wards, the veterinary surgeon met the man and inquired how 

 the animal was doing. " He's all right, and no thanks to 

 you," was the surly reply. " How's that ? " " As you would 

 do nothing for him, I took him to the other Vet., who is .a 

 rare knowledgeable chap. He gave him a dose of physic, 



