PROTECTIVE VETERINARY SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS. 29 
veteterinary surgeon ; therefore it is better to leave our cause in 
the hands of a discriminating public, who, although misled too often 
at the outset by first impressions, will right themselves in the end, 
and do ample justice to the aggrieved party. In fact, it is better 
and wiser so to live and demean ourselves privately and profes- 
sionally as to live ill fame out. 
Still I agree with Mr. Anderson, that we ought to unite to carry 
out self-protection to a certain extent ; and the plan I would suggest 
would be to form the veterinary surgeons of every county into 
county associations. Let every association elect annually their own 
president ; let them meet once a year at some central town in their 
respective counties; let their duties consist in watching over the 
veterinary interest, not only of their own district, but of the whole 
body politic ; seeing to the correct registration of all regularly gra- 
duated veterinary surgeons in that county ; taking correct accounts 
of the deaths and changes of residence as they occur of every indi- 
vidual member in their county ; taking a general annual review of 
every thing connected with veterinary science, and entering into 
such an annual amount of subscription as will defray all necessary 
expenses, particularly that of advertising once a year in their pro- 
vincial newspapers the names of every person in that particular 
county qualified to practise the veterinary art ; and also, if neces- 
sary, to pay the expenses of any member they might depute as 
their representative at the annual meeting of veterinary surgeons, 
held in every May at the Freemasons’ Tavern, for the purpose of 
electing six individuals annually on the Council of the Royal Col- 
lege of Veterinary Surgeons (that is, when none of their association 
are disposed to go to town at their own expense). 
The president for the time being should keep minutes of all the 
association’s proceedings, see to the carrying out its views, and 
keep up a regular correspondence with the Council through the 
medium of its secretary whenever circumstances call for such com- 
munications. 
Thus there would be a healthy, vigorous circulation kept up be- 
twixt the council and their constituents — betwixt the centre and 
extremities — which could not fail to be attended with the most 
beneficial consequences towards promoting the best interests of 
our College, and preserving it in prime working order. 
I am extremely sorry that so many of my professional brethren 
should have been disappointed with the Charter, because it did not 
afford that protection from quackery which many of them antici- 
pated ; but if government refused such protection to the medical pro- 
fession, it is not likely they would grant it to us. All I can say 
is, the Veterinary Committee established for the obtainment of the 
Charter pressed it upon the notice of government, but without effect. 
