616 
FURTHER REMARKS ON REGISTRATION. 
of rather the opposite, tendency. My object seems rather in some 
instances not to be clearly understood. I cannot for an instant be 
supposed to uphold an unqualified over a qualified man ; but, at 
the same time, long inquiry into the position of and the previous 
history of our profession has taught me that there are a large 
number of practitioners who have been in practice for many years, 
who, having succeeded to a business in many instances carried on 
for several generations, pursued the methods and imbibed the 
practical lore of their progenitors: the sons of these, who intend to 
do as their fathers have done before them, became pupils at one 
or the other of our veterinary schools, and, in due course, members 
of the body corporate. 
Viewing these things, it would ill become any man to cry down 
intelligence and honest worth, even though such a man may be a 
direct opponent : such a line of conduct would never answer; and, 
further, an amalgamation of the qualified members with this class, 
based on proper grounds, would do more to drive from the field 
the herd of pretenders, shoeing smiths, et hoc genus omne, which 
are now so plentiful, than any other plan that may be devised. 
For it will be found that this class to which I am adverting are, to 
a man, advocates for the advancement of our common art; and the 
very fact of their not enjoying the privilege of membership makes 
them feel the more on the subject. 
Another class are those who have served apprenticeships to 
some practitioner, but afterwards, without entering at the schools, 
set up in practice for themselves : the best of these may be classed 
with the foregoing. 
The last class I shall notice are those who have been educated 
at one or other of the veterinary schools, but have not passed the 
Board of Examination. Of this class I must not speak disparag- 
ingly, as to it I myself belonged for sixteen years, conscientiously 
refusing to present myself before a Board that, I believed, was not 
qualified to examine me efficiently on the subject professedly their 
object to test. That this arose from no personal feeling will be 
apparent, when I state that I had been a student for several years in 
the medical schools under several of those very gentlemen whose 
aptitude for the office of veterinary examiners I disputed. As 
medical and surgical teachers, and practitioners of human medi- 
cine, I respected them, and should have felt proud to have appeared 
before them for examination fora diploma in human medicine; but 
I could not understand why, for a veterinary diploma, I should be 
subjected to an examination more consonant with another and 
very different branch of medicine. But when a change took place, 
and a Board of Examiners was appointed, consisting of 'two-thirds 
veterinary practitioners of standing and repute, then the objection 
