XVlll PREFACE. 



up in England in a cheap form for Irish circulation, 

 anything being deemed good enough for this country. 



As an instance of this animus^ I will quote a circum- 

 stance which, although it occurred many years ago, may 

 still be taken as an example of the general contempt 

 and indifference as to its progress, which Ireland has to 

 endure even at the present day. At one time the 

 medicines sold in Dublin were of a very inferior quality, 

 the worst which the London markets could produce. 

 Charles Lucas called public attention to them in a 

 pamphlet entitled '*A Scheme to prevent Frauds and 

 Abuses in Pharmacy," and met with violent opposition 

 in his endeavour to remedy these abuses. 



The fact of the inferiority of these medicines was 

 notorious, for when some druggists were charged before 

 the British parliament with selling adulterated and 

 unsound drugs to the good subjects of His Majesty in 

 Great Britain, they denied the accusation, and stated 

 that all such drugs were sent to Ireland. 



Ireland has enjoyed the blessings of a free education 

 for only thirty years, yet short as that period is, the tone 

 and habits of the people have been much altered for the 

 better ; many absurd and ridiculous notions and ideas 

 have disappeared before the light of education, as mists 

 before the rising sun. And those superstitious ideas 

 that still obtain regarding the cure of Farcy, &c., would 

 follow their train, if proper steps were only taken to 

 encourage, foster, and propagate a thorough knowledge 

 of Veterinaiy Science. A college has been established 

 in Dublin, but the public are scarcely aware of its ex- 

 istence. The press would not have passed over without 



