INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 
683 
one we have honour conferred upon individuals only, in the 
other, mankind at large reaps the benefit. Nevertheless, the 
one must precede the other. Even in old age you must be 
youthful, as far as the science of your profession is con- 
cerned, for it is life-long; and of this be assured, you will 
never find knowledge to be either burthensome or useless. 
In addition to this, 1 w 7 ould say — let your conduct, dress, 
and address, be such as become gentlemen. Adopt not 
the style of the groom or stableman, and far less his general 
habits. These may be w 7 hat is vulgarly called “ flash,” but 
they are unprofessional, and derogatory to your vocation. I 
perhaps ought to apologise for speaking thus ; 1, however, 
know that some, when starting in life, have thought it ne- 
cessary to act in this way, and even to court the company 
of those persons. Now, respect is due to every man, be he 
in whatsoever station he may, provided he honestly fills it ; 
but it is a great mistake to suppose that there is any neces- 
sity for familiarity wuth all. Rather be solicitous to gain 
both the ear and the confidence of your employers, and you 
will then do well. Sir Horace Walpole said, “every man 
has his price.” A w r ord to the wise is sufficient. 
Now, as parsons preach sermons that are rarely ever ap- 
proved of by all their congregation, so I cannot hope that all 
I have said in this lecture will be approved by all of you. 
I, however, have ventured to make these statements from a 
conviction both of their need and verity, and from a belief 
that their realisation will tend to your individual and col- 
lective benefit hereafter. 
My desire is, that the profession should take a higher 
standing than it does ; and this I have thought can only be 
obtained by adding to the studies of its pupils some of those 
other divisions of natural philosophy that bear upon veteri- 
nary medicine, as I have already said. Some of you may 
think I have done wrong in this, and blame me ; others that 
I have not accomplished my self-imposed task to prove the 
need thereof, and if so, my inability 1 sincerely regret. 
I am quite aware that there are a few connected with our 
profession who contemn science altogether. They pooh ! 
pooh ! it, and ask — What good has it done ? They say, 
disease is as rife as ever it was, and its eradication not more 
successful now than in the days of our forefathers. They 
plume themselves on their practical experience, and contend 
that theory and practice are antagonistic. Their ignorance 
is the cause of this. What says Dr. Lyon Playfair on this 
head ? “ For a long time practice standing still in the pride 
of empiricism, and in the ungrateful forgetfulness of w hat 
