EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 479 
The Gazette announces the appointment of Mr. Wilkinson, 
V.S., 2d Life Guards, as Principal Veterinary Surgeon. 
It has caused us regret to learn that the vacancy in the 
office of Principal Veterinary Surgeon, occasioned by the 
death of Mr. Cherry, should have proved the offspring of an 
act of injustice to two Regimental Veterinary Surgeons, un- 
deserving of the cruel military stigma which such rejection 
has fastened upon them. The seniority list stooji as follows : 
Mr. Siddall, V.S., Royal Horse Guards (Blue), Oct., 1812. 
Mr. Percivall, V.S., 1st Life Guards, Nov., 1812. 
Mr. Wilkinson, V.S., 2d Life Guards, April, 1826. 
The selection of Mr. Wilkinson, out of his turn, has been 
made, as will be seen by the official letter hereunto annexed, 
ostensibly, to consist in the performance of a “very im- 
portant duty in Turkey/ 5 that of buying horses for the army 
there ; and it is one to which he appears especially fitted: it 
is one which, a little while ago, was performed by Captain 
(now Colonel) Wingfield, at Woolwich, for the Artillery; 
and, before him, by Colonel (now Major-General) Richard 
Jones ; and by both, very efficiently and satisfactorily : the 
same office was likewise filled, with the army in the Pen- 
insula, by Tom Marsden, a well-known horse-dealer, very 
much to the satisfaction of the Commander of the Forces 
there, the Duke of Wellington. To set such a qualification 
as this, however good and effective it may be, against sterling 
attainments requisite to make a scientific and practical vete- 
rinary surgeon, is like putting chaff into the scale to weigh 
against corn ; it is the husk competing with the kernel — the 
shadow against the substance : however, 
“ Kings {princes) have long arms,” 
and so the matter ends. 
Horse Guards ; 15 tk July , 1854. 
My Dear Lord, — I had the honour to lay before the 
General-Commanding-in-Chief your Lordship’s letter of the 
13th inst., recommending Mr. Percivall, the Veterinary Sur- 
geon of the 1st Life Guards, to succeed the late Mr. Cherry 
as Principal Veterinary Surgeon, and I have now received 
Viscount Hardinge’s directions to acquaint you that he 
regrets it will not be in his power to give effect to your 
