INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 
795 
of human medicine to the proud position it now occupies, 
and it is by similar means I sincerely and earnestly hope 
the profession of veterinary medicine may be ultimately 
elevated. 
Hitherto I have spoken only of the preliminary studies to 
which you are, or to which you will, I trust, eventually he 
required to devote your attention during the earlier part of 
your career as veterinary students. 
My object in doing so has not been, as some of my auditors 
may suppose, that you may become pure theorists, but that 
you may possess that extended knowledge which alone can 
make you self-reliant and sound practitioners, as well as 
competent to undertake research, so that whenever a rare or 
imperfectly known epizootic makes its appearance the duty 
of investigating it may be committed to your charge, and not 
to that of the physician or surgeon, as was chiefly the case 
during the comparatively recent outbreak of cattle plague. 
No, gentlemen, I do not advise you to become pure 
theorists, but I do hope that you will not fall into the 
opposite extreme of becoming purely so-called practical men. 
Endeavour to combine theory with accurate observation ; 
then you will be practical in the true sense of the word, and 
be able to appreciate and profit by the labours of others in 
the nore abstract branches of medical science. 
In a former part of this lecture I stated that you will he 
required to attend lectures on pathology, medicine, and 
suigery. The knowledge you will thus acquire must he 
supplemented and confirmed by patient and unremitting 
attendance in the infirmary and post-mortem house. You 
mist not consider that the “ going round 99 with the professor 
in charge of the patients is the only duty demanded for the 
improvement of your knowledge of the recognition and treat- 
ment of disease, but you must find time to watch the cases 
fcr yourselves, to make your own notes upon them, and to 
dscuss them with your fellow-pupils. You should also 
sibmit your notes to the revision of your teachers, who, I 
assure you, are far from considering their duties towards 
y>u to have terminated with the delivery of a lecture, 
lut are desirous of giving you every information in their 
lower, and aiding you by their counsel and advice on all 
lossible occasions. 
Having told you vihat to learn, let me offer you some 
advise on how to learn. 
The great thing to bear in mind in the pursuit of know- 
ledge is that it cannot be obtained without pains and 
application. “ It is troublesome and deep digging for pure 
