EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
53 
his suggestions for reform. Leaving the grand question of 
professional reform for consideration to another time, we will 
here, firstly, make a few cursory remarks on some pieces of 
advice and recommendation he has offered to veterinary 
practitioners in general ; and secondly, on some innovations 
and alterations he proposes should be made at the Royal 
Veterinary College. Taking these in the order the Professor 
has classed them, viz., 1. The Profession; 2. The Institu- 
tion ; and 3. The Pupils, we shall commence with the first 
category. 
In this we find resumed the frequently discussed question 
of the policy and respectability of having a shoeing forge at 
work in connection with an infirmary establishment. So far 
as experience — the great arbiter of questions such as this — 
has gone, we believe that it tells in favour of the forge : 
showing that, although there be — as the Professor in truth 
says — “many of those (veterinary surgeons) who enjoy the 
largest practices without forges,” there remain still more who 
have not relinquished their forges : the best proof they can 
afford of their finding it to their advantage to retain them. 
An old practitioner, established by reputation or standing, 
may perhaps be able to “ do without a forge but that he is 
nowise a loser thereby, or gives no advantages to another 
which he might have secured to himself, is to us more than 
problematical. And in the case of one about to set up in 
practice, we confess, for our own part, our feeling is strongly 
in favour of a forge being one of the sine qua nons of the 
nascent business. Nor do we, we must confess, see the de- 
traction which the Professor appears to regard as inseparably 
attached to the forge. In London, and we should, cateris 
parilus , imagine in other large towns, we should certainly 
offend some of our veterinary acquaintance of high profes- 
sional standing, were we to tell them, their forges hurt their 
character or reputation ; indeed we should expect to be told 
in answer, that they had uot found that their forges had done 
them any such injury as was alleged : added to which, that, 
without forges, they should find themselves not only much 
