2 
AN ADDRESS ON THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. 
the present, still give reason for joy and hope ; for who among 
us capable of looking back for a period of thirty or more 
years, but must remember with shame and disgust the mode 
in which young men were sent forth into the world certified 
as “fit to practice the veterinary art in all its branches;” 
many of them manufactured out of the really raw material, 
without the least pretension to even a common education, to 
not a few of whom their own written names were almost mys- 
teries, and whose orthography and penmanship would have 
disgraced the lowest pupil in a parish school of the present 
day ; and yet these men, and such as these, having paid the 
customary fees and complied with a few other, to them use- 
less, requirements — such as attending lectures which they were 
utterly unable to comprehend — were said to be qualified to 
be intrusted with the lives of millions of our domesticated ani- 
mals, amounting in value to an almost incredible sum. But, 
thanks to the energies, the untiring energies, of a few noble 
minds — some of whom, alas ! have not been permitted to gain 
more than a distant and imperfect view of the accomplish- 
ment of their dearest wishes — these days are gone, never to 
return ; for we have now at the head of affairs, gentlemen 
who are not only sensible of the value of general knowledge, 
but w ho are careful to require, by a somewhat strict examina- 
tion of candidates applying for veterinary diplomas, a certain 
amount of scientific acquirement as a guarantee of their capa- 
bility of fulfilling their onerous duties, and of their fitness to 
assist in the regeneration of the profession into which they 
are about to enter. The advancement of the profession, 
then, is secured ; for these men, (our present teachers,) aided 
by the press in giving expression to their opinions and publi- 
city to their proceedings, w r ould be as incapable of permitting 
anything like a retrogressive movement being made, as they 
w'ould be of inculcating a belief in w itchcraft or promulgating 
the now exploded doctrine of astro-theology. No reasonable 
doubt, therefore, need be entertained of the future high 
standing of the veterinary surgeon ; but a long time must, I 
fear, yet elapse before a complete purification of the profes- 
sional body can be effected ; for as “ ill w r eeds grow^ apace,” 
so they generally resist for a long time all the means em- 
ployed for their eradication. 
Among the Correspondents of the past year, it is pleasing 
to notice the reappearance of some names that for a brief 
period have not graced your pages : it w ere to be wished that 
they would do themselves and the Journal more frequent 
honour, and enhance the value of their contributions by an 
entire absence of controversial personalities, and a more li- 
