232 LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
tical knowledge before admission into the body corporate, by giving 
the Council all the support we can, individually and collectively, to 
carry out this practical examination at the end of the present ses- 
sion in such a manner that a stimulus may be given to the student 
to familiarise and prepare himself more thoroughly, by close atten- 
tion, not only to animals lame and diseased, but also to those in 
health. 
Again, gentlemen, our knowledge in regard to the treatment of 
disease can be contrasted most favorably with the past. 
You do not find, as a rule, the veterinarian armed with those most 
unmistakable weapons of depletion, “aye, and I am afraid in a good 
many cases death,” the fleam and blood-stick. 1 well remember 
the days when it would have been thought a dereliction of duty to 
be called to a case without these things in your possession. I 
have been long since convinced that our poor patients have great 
need to be thankful that they can now look us in the face as friends, 
and I can fancy the relief and satisfaction it would be to them were 
they able to comprehend that the days of “ bleeding and giving a 
purge ” in nearly every class of disease, irrespective of its nature, 
were at an end, and that treatment based on the principles of assist- 
ing and supporting nature’s laws to rectify themselves is now the 
rule, when the functions of health are interfered with or disturbed 
by disease. There is no doubt, gentlemen, the most successful 
practitioners are amongst those who have possessed themselves with 
a thorough knowledge of the laws of health in animals. With such, 
the disturbing influence, and consequent disease, from whatever 
cause they may arise, can, in the majority of cases be accounted for, 
and, as the term goes, “ cured.” 
Contrast our knowledge and treatment of canker in the foot of 
the horse now with that of a few years ago. It is chiefly through 
the indefatigable perseverance of our respected and mutual friend 
Mr. Greaves that this troublesome, tedious, and in most cases so 
thought incurable disease is now almost in every case cured by 
him. I can bear witness to many successful cases myself, and I 
doubt not other members can add their testimony also. His mode 
of operation and subsequent treatment has gone forth to the pro- 
fession in the shape of the valuable and practical paper which he 
read before this association some time ago, and I doubt not, results 
as satisfactory may be obtained by other members if only carried out 
with the same energy that our friend has displayed. 
Then, again, we have to thank our colleague Mr. Broad for in- 
troducing to the profession the shoe he has invented for laminitis, 
which has already afforded relief to large numbers of cases, so much 
so that Broad’s shoe for laminitis has become a household term 
amongst us ; and I wish to testify my approval of its benefits in 
every case in which I have adopted it. 
I am reminded here of a subject of great importance both to the 
owners of draught horses in London and also to the poor horses 
themselves. To the former, inasmuch as I firmly believe to them at 
least a third of the (motive) horse-power is sacrificed — no small con- 
