ON THE EXCLUSIVENESS OF THE PUBLICATION OF TIIE VETE- 
RINARY TRANSACTIONS — THE FALSE GROUND ON WHICH IT 
WAS FOUNDED-THE VALUABLE INTRODUCTION OF CATTLE 
PATHOLOGY— THE STRANGE IGNORANCE OF MANY COUNTRY 
PRACTITIONERS— THE PRESENT STATE OF CATTLE PATHOLO- 
GY— ON PARAPLEGIA IN CATTLE-MR. T. TURNER’S ORATION 
— AND THE STRANGE DUPLICITY PRACTISED BY MANY UN- 
CERTIFICATED MEN. 
By Mr. J. F. Bickford, F.S., Kingsbridge , Devon . 
Sir, — I have the honour of receiving a printed circular from 
the Veterinary College, with the name of the worthy Professor 
of Chemistry attached to it. It informs me of the intention of 
the Committee of the Veterinary Medical Association, in refer- 
ence to the publication of its ‘‘Transactions.” 
Hitherto I have not been a subscriber, nor am I acquainted 
with the price of the work ; but I regret that the Council or the 
Committee should have determined to publish an account of their 
meetings and discussions through any other source than that in 
which we originally received them, viz. the pages of The Ve- 
terinarian. I have some indistinct recollection of having 
read, or being informed, that the Committee connected with the 
Association unanimously resolved, that its “ Transactions” should 
be circulated only to the graduates of the College. For my 
own part, I regret that they should have decided on such a step. 
It ill becomes a body that are zealously making their struggle 
for a Charter , and thereby obtaining professional rank, with its 
immunities and privileges, to endeavour to make its Transactions 
a matter of secresy, by circulating them exclusively to the mem- 
bers of the veterinary art : for it is but an art after all, as Mr. 
Turner was reluctantly compelled to acknowledge at the War- 
wick sessions. 
Science courts the open day. Truth has nothing to fear from 
the most extensive and indiscriminate circulation ; nor should we, 
in my humble opinion, at all suffer in our interests, if the whole 
matter about to be published for the sole and separate use of the 
veterinary body were made as public as an advertisement in the 
Times newspaper could possibly spread it. My experience ena- 
bles me to confirm this statement in reference to myself. The 
more The V eterin arian has been circulated in a farmer’s club 
with which I am connected, the more do the parties reading that 
work confide in and appreciate the qualifications of a veterinary 
surgeon in comparison with the uneducated and ignorant farrier. 
Will any reasonable man believe that the popular lecture deli- 
