58 



" Now, Brittles, I presume you know the nature 

 of an oath ; pray, are you a Protestant ? " 



" Yes, sir no that is," said Brittles, in terrible 

 trepidation " God bless me I'm the same as Mr. 

 Giles." 



So it is I find with the veterinary profession. 



" What is your opinion, Mr. , about the 



cattle plague ? " 



" I think, sir that is, I believe I mean to say, 

 my opinion God bless me, it's the same as Mr. 

 Gamgee's." 



Thus, if Mr. Gamgee's opinions are erroneous, 

 those of the whole profession must be erroneous 

 also. But my endeavour in these pages has been 

 to show that Mr. Gamgee's opinions are erroneous. 

 At any rate, I have tried to make it clear that I 

 think them so ; and if I have failed in doing* so, I 

 think it is not my fault. 



It may be said that all the authorities, together 

 with public opinion, are on the other side. True ; 

 one hundred years ago a few, but very few, people 

 disbelieved in witchcraft. All the authorities, from 

 Addison downwards, together with public opinion, 

 were on the other side.* 



* I need hardly say that this reference to the old belief in 

 witchcraft is not an argument to prove the truth of what I 

 say, for it might equally well be used to prove any absurdity 

 whatever that the moon is made of green cheese, or that 

 rinderpest comes only from Russia, or anything. No ; I only 

 make it to show that an opinion, being an opinion of the pub- 

 lic, proves nothing whatever as to its truth. 



