SOME CONSIDERATIONS IN FAVOUR OF THE LEGAL 
PROJECT PRESENTED TO THE CHAMBER OF PEERS, 
WITH REFERENCE TO A CHANGE IN THE POSITION 
OF THE FRENCH ARMY VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
By M. Renault, Director of the Royal Veterinary School 
at A (fort. 
[Continued from page 228 .] 
M. Renault having taken a rapid survey of the situation in 
which the veterinary surgeons, in every other country or Europe, 
are placed, quotes the following degrading description of the treat- 
ment which they receive in their native country : — " It is in France 
where veterinary medicine took its birth — where it is incontestably 
the most advanced — where it istaught with thefullest development, 
and to which most of the professors of the schools of Europe 
travel to improve themselves — it is in France, where the want of 
resources, and the numerous losses in our cavalry troops, ought 
to attach most importance to the worth of the veterinary sur- 
geons, that they are exclusively placed in the lowest scale. 
“ It is in an army where each soldier may attain the highest 
rank of military honour, that there exists a class of men from 
whom is required the most extensive knowledge, the continual 
sacrifice of their time, a zeal that knows no abatement, a loyalty, 
a probity incessantly put to the test on occasions of the most 
important nature, and connected with the honour and safety of 
the country — it is to men who can fulfil all these indispensable 
and difficult compartments, that, even in our times of equality, it 
is still forbidden to have the satisfaction of witnessing the ac- 
complishment of their natural and dearest and most honourable 
wishes.” — ( Report of M. the Colonel Baron de la Coste to the 
Chamber of Deputies.) 
It has been replied to this objection, that when veterinary 
surgeons have attained the rank of officers they could not, with- 
out degradation, practise their profession in the country ; 
and this would deprive them of the means of improving their 
position by the adoption of any other profession, and would also 
deprive agriculture of the advantages that it could derive from 
their long experience ; — a false notion, scarcely worthy of con- 
sideration. 
It has been observed, and almost officially, that the obscure 
origin of the greater part of veterinary surgeons would be an 
obstacle to their admission into the staff-office of the regiments. 
