Veterinary Surgeons. 63 



Professor Williams is a man for whom I have a great 

 admiration ; for he is original. Had it not been for that 

 love of originality with which I have been troubled during 

 all my life, I would have remained in the army and would 

 have become a colonel or perhaps a major-general. But 

 originality is the antithesis of routine, by the practice of 

 which, our actions become automatic, and we ourselves are 

 converted into machines. Professor Williams is a man of 

 keen observation, independent action, enthusiastic, and has 

 the rare gift of explaining to others what he knows. When 

 he has once said a thing, he sticks to it, which is adorable 

 when it takes the form of saying that one no matter who 

 will give either of us a fiver ; but is liable to lead to compli- 

 cations in laying down the law on scientific subjects which 

 have not been thoroughly thrashed out. The founder of the 

 great Scotch school of veterinary surgeons was Professor Dick, 

 who was a man of fine natural parts, and was also * infallible.' 

 Of his many clever students, Williams was undoubtedly the 

 most original ; Fleming, the hardest working ; and * Joe ' 

 Anderson, the best judge of a horse. Professor Robertson 

 was thoroughly sound ; but he would write English a la 

 Herbert Spencer, and consequently his Equine Medicine is a 

 sealed book to those of us who must read fast, or not at 

 all Dr Fleming worked his way up with rare pluck, and 

 placed a large amount of valuable French veterinary litera- 

 ture within the reach of a profession among whom there are 

 few linguists. He did yeoman service in getting an Act of 

 Parliament for R.C.V.S. ; and he improved the official status 

 of army veterinary surgeons, so that they are now received at 

 Court. His share of the Jubilee honours was only a C.B. 

 It should at least have been a K.C.B. The clamour for cheap 

 veterinary education has greatly retarded the advancement 

 of the veterinary profession. Fees of 13 a year were 

 thought to be sufficient to pay for the instruction in the 

 art of healing animals ! The old timers, who had been 

 chiefly recruited from the sons of blacksmiths and of small 



