184 THE ROYAL CHARTER OF INCORPORATION 
of the sufferings of those animals confided to their 
care ; That the veterinary art is not recognized by law 
as a profession ; That, owing to our said Petitioners 
not participating in the privileges and exemptions 
which have been granted to the medical and other 
professions, much injury has arisen to themselves in 
the course of their practice, as well as loss to their em- 
ployers; That our said Petitioners are so fully occupied 
in the discharge of the duties of their profession, and 
they are so continually at the call of the public, as to 
be very ill qualified to discharge, with due regard to the 
interests of the public, the parochial and other services 
which the law at present enforces on them ; and that, 
considering the progress already made in the advance- 
ment of the veterinary art by the superior education 
and attainments of veterinarv practitioners, our said 
Petitioners humbly submit that considerable advantages 
would accrue to our subjects generally by enabling our 
said Petitioners and others constituting the body of 
veterinary surgeons to possess privileges from which 
they have been hitherto excluded ; and our said Peti- 
tioners, being convinced that the sanction of our Royal 
Charter of Incorporation would materially contribute 
to the advancement of the veterinary art and the re- 
spectability of the veterinary practitioners, have hum- 
bly prayed that we should grant to them, and to such 
other persons as now are certificated members of the 
Royal Veterinary College of London, or of the Vete- 
rinary College of Edinburgh, our Royal Charter of In- 
corporation, that they might from thenceforth be one 
body politic and corporate, by the name and title of 
the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, with such 
r 
