495 
THE EXEMPTION BILL— PROFESSIONAL 
RESPECTABILITY. 
To the Editor of “ The Veterinarian 
Sir, — I n your last number, p. 433, you make a remark, that 
1 have not perused the number for July. That was the case, 
as I was furnished by my bookseller with a wrong number in 
mistake. But having seen and particularly examined it now, 
I find nothing to alter my opinion, viz. that if the act of parlia- 
ment on that subject says all surgeons, &c., the veterinary 
surgeon has as good a right to exemption as the human prac- 
titioner, if he chooses to claim it. I think I have the best 
authority in Scotland (the Lord Justice Clerk and three others, 
judges, being at the time on the bench) for saying so; and I 
am of opinion there is no use in being at the trouble and ex- 
pence of a separate bill if the one at present in existence will 
serve the purpose. I see in the same number that the bill is lost. 
Perhaps some of the profession (before trying another) will 
have an opportunity of claiming exemption as the law at pre- 
sent stands. I shall be glad to hear, through The Veteri- 
narian, “ how they succeed.” 
In some of your late numbers, a considerable space has un- 
profitably been taken up with replies to the Sporting Surgeon, 
which, though ably written, would, perhaps, have been better 
omitted, treating such a character with the silent contempt he 
so well deserves. Does this Sporting Surgeon, or his friend 
the veterinary surgeon (whose letter, p. 322, is of such credit 
to his profession), think he can make the readers of The VE- 
TERINARIAN or any other publication believe that education 
alone is the only thing that will make men honest and honour- 
able? Does he wish to make us believe that dishonour and 
dishonesty are exclusively confined to our profession 1 Does 
he not know that propensities of a dishonest and dishonourable 
nature occasionally occur in all classes of society, and among 
all professions 1 whether it be in church or state, among the 
practitioners of human medicine, or, what he seems to think, 
the degraded creatures that force their nostrums down the 
throats or torture with their rude hands the unfortunates of the 
dumb creation, whose mishaps may unluckily place them in 
their hands] If he does so, he will certainly find himself in a 
great mistake. And if his friend the Veterinary Surgeon is a 
party that does what is said in his letter, p. 323, he is certainly 
