THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
V0 > oJJ 111, FEBRUARY, 1855. 
Fourth Series, 
No. 2. 
Communications and Cases. 
BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE MR. WM. PERCIVALL. 
“ Whether we smile or weep, 
Time wings his flight : 
Days, hours, they never creep ; 
Life speeds like light.” ' 
The subject of this memoir, Mr. William Percivall, 
M.R.C.V.S. and M.R.C.S., was son of the late Mr. John 
Percivall (for many years Senior Veterinary Surgeon to the 
Ordnance). Mr. Percivall was bom in the year 1793* and 
having received a classical education, he entered at the Royal 
Veterinary College, in the year 1809, as a resident pupil of 
the late Professor Sewell, and obtained his diploma from that 
institution in 1811. 
In 1812 Mr. Percivall was appointed Veterinary Surgeon 
to the Royal Artillery, and at that early age, served in the 
Peninsular campaign, for which he received a medal. On 
the return of the army of occupation from France in 1815, 
he was placed on the retired list, with a pension which he 
enjoyed up to the time of his death. Finding that he had 
much leisure time on his hands, and thinking he should like 
to follow the medical profession, he commenced his studies 
at St. Thomas’s Hospital, and in November, 1819, passed the 
Royal College of Surgeons. Subsequently he also became a 
Licentiate of the Apothecaries 5 Company, having some 
thoughts of going into practice as a surgeon. Our deceased 
friend, however, was afterwards induced to change his mind, 
and having decided upon following his original profession ; he, 
with great assiduity, devoted much time and labour to the dis- 
section of the lower animals, and to Veterinary subjects in 
general. 
In the years, 1823*4, he published his first Veterinary work, 
entitled “ Lectures on the Veterinary Art, 55 which gave some 
offence to the then heads of the profession, and much was 
xxviii. 8 
