THE APPOINTMENT OF PRINCIPAL V.S. 517 
each sort, and advise you to try them when an opportunity 
occurs, their proportions are as before enumerated. 
My friend Mr. Morton, kindly gave me a few for experi- 
ment, I have communicated to him the results. They are 
unfortunately not yet in the drug market, although I have 
been informed that they are to be obtained at a much less rate 
than cantharides, which article, in consequence of the w 7 ar, 
has risen in price, cent, per cent., to lOs. and even IQs. per 
pound : being the price of them at present. If the mylabris 
were at the same price, they w 7 ould be cheaper, as one ounce 
would be equal to four of the cantharides. 
Can you inform me where any are to be obtained? 
Yours, & c. 
16, Gloucester place, New Road, 
July 17, 1851. 
THE APPOINTMENT OF PRINCIPAL Y.S. 
Cavalry Barrack, August 1, 1854. 
Dear Sir, — Confound it! What is the matter at head 
quarters? How are people like us to understand Mr. 
Wilkinson’s elevation? Had Mr. Siddall been chosen, although 
your senior only by a month, you must have been silent. 
Something like rule w 7 ould in that case have appeared to be 
firmly held by. Had the oppointment fallen upon you, 
Siddall’s mouth w ould have been stopped. He could have 
said nothing, unless he had something to put forward in com- 
petition with your merit. In your case the regulation which 
selected Coleman, would have appeared to be carried out. 
Coleman w T as appointed principal veterinary surgeon, because 
he lectured to boys. You have spoken out to men. In the 
country live very many veterinary surgeons, who are doing- 
large practices with only one book for a library, and in every 
case the book is your 4 Hippopathology.’ Had such been all 
you had produced, it should not have been overlooked. But 
your pen has never been laid aside for an instant ; and some 
of your writings, though long out of print, sell at the present 
time for more than the published cost, I mean your lectures. 
My book was picked up lately very cheap : I bought it, after 
many years’ search, for three pounds ten shillings. You are 
the rightful head of my profession, and had you been 
appointed, every veterinary surgeon must have approved. 
But w 7 hat claim had Mr. Wilkinson to respect. His entry 
dates fourteen years after the two before him : consequently 
seniority was not the ruling principle in this case. He has 
