150 
INDIA, &c. 
lations dated the 24th of May, 1796, it was attempted to be 
carried into effect. But by that dated 21st of September, 1796, 
it was abandoned, and the army veterinary department placed 
on a more respectable footing ; and the regulations dated the 
7th of May, 1807, and 14th of April, 1815, held out greater 
encouragement to well qualified persons to enter into and con- 
tinue in the service as veterinary surgeons, as their appointment 
had been productive of great benefit . — See 8 th Report of the 
Commissioners of Military Enquiry. 
But from the impossibility of procuring regularly educated 
veterinarians in India, the government felt unwilling to abandon 
the experiment of giving veterinary assistants to the cavalry 
regiments, unless obliged to do so by insurmountable circum- 
stances ; and, having considered the practicability of attaining 
results satisfactory at least in a considerable degree, they expected 
from the superintendent a zealous co-operation with their wishes, 
to attain every advantage that could be procured to the service 
by the success of the experiment. 
To secure the important objects the government had in view, 
Mr. Hodgson continued and extended the course of instruction ; 
and, in his letter of the 5th of August, 1823, offered some further 
observations on the general duties of army veterinarians, and the 
manner in which their services might be most advantageously 
employed. The government entirely coincided in the views of 
the question taken by the Medical Board, that a few regularly 
educated veterinarians might be very usefully employed in the 
manner proposed by Mr. Hodgson. 
But the government did not feel themselves competent to de- 
cide on the merits of the plan which accompanied Mr. Hodg- 
son’s letter, dated the 20th of November, 1823, which plan, with 
the projected work on the veterinary department by veterinary 
surgeon Percivall, of the Royal Artillery, it w r as stated, would 
more properly come under the consideration of authorities at 
home, to whom it was to be submitted on that gentleman’s 
arrival in Europe. 
When the number of horse artillery, cavalry, studs, and other 
departments of army cattle in India, are considered, it certainly 
appears an anomaly that an army veterinary establishment has 
not been organized ; that to the want of it may be attributed 
the very heavy expenses of some of these departments, particu- 
larly the stud, which has been under the superintendence of one 
person (Mr. Moorcroft), a professional gentleman of acknow- 
ledged talents and abilities : but it will not be contended, that a 
greater body of professional information would not have been 
more advantageous, when it is also considered that the stud is 
