502 
COMMUNICATION FROM MR. DADD. 
presence of a host of veterinary surgeons? No ! They are 
few and far between. We are rich in means for the endow- 
ment of such institutions, but as yet there has been no 
practical application of the same. There are, however, three 
incorporated veterinary colleges in this country, not one of 
which has ever gone into operation. At the time to which 
I allude, the population of the United States amounted to 
thirty millions, and the value of their live stock reached the 
enormous sum of five hundred millions of dollars ! Here 
were immense interests at stake, yet, according to the most 
reliable authority, there were but fifteen certified surgeons in 
the whole country ! One veterinary Hercules to every two 
millions of inhabitants ! twenty-six hundred thousand head 
of live stock* apportioned to each surgeon. Consequently, 
the great bulk of this description of property could not 
receive the benefits of veterinary science. Suppose, gentle- 
men, you had but one veterinary surgeon in the great city of 
London, which I believe contains two and a half millions of 
inhabitants, you would then only be a trifle better off than 
the people of this country were in 1847. Under such cir- 
cumstances, would not the emergency justify the means? 
Could it be beneath the dignity of a practitioner to endea- 
vour to mitigate the sufferings of those bereft of speech , by 
putting into the hands of farmers and horse-owners a 
few medicines for the treatment of our common forms of 
disease ? 
The composition of these medicines have never been kept 
a secret from the profession , and they are always accompanied 
with suitable instructions regarding food and management; 
the latter, as you are aware, are ofttimes more operative as 
restoratives than the former. Under such circumstances I 
have an impression that, in a country where veterinary 
science scarcely has existence, I am not practising em- 
piricism ; for, in addition, I have taken pains to inform 
myself of the nature of diseases incidental to the stock of 
this country, and am conversant with the modus operandi of 
medicines. 
As regards the “ attractive embellishments” which you 
refer to, I regret that there should be anything offensive in 
them ; they are here considered as tricks of the trade , over 
which I have hitherto exercised but little control, but intend 
hereafter to use my influence with the manufacturers to 
suppress everything that shall be likely to offend my pro- 
fessional brethren. 
* According to the seventh census the number of all descriptions of live 
stock was 75,293,150. 
