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OBITUARY. 
Died, on the ilth January 1850, after a lingering and painful 
illness, borne with great patience and fortitude, Mr. Robert Read, 
aged 45, Veterinary Surgeon, Crediton, Devon, respected and 
beloved by all who knew him. 
Mr. Read commenced his professional career by serving an ap- 
prenticeship to a chymist and druggist at Teignmouth, whose 
business was in part devoted to dispensing medicine for horses and 
cattle, there being at the time no veterinary aid in the neighbour- 
hood to resort to in cases of animal sickness or lameness. In this 
department Mr. Read evinced particular delight; and from this 
period we may date the bent his mind afterwards took for veteri- 
nary pursuits. At the expiration of his apprenticeship, in 1826, 
he enrolled himself a pupil at the Royal Veterinary College, 
London. Obtaining his diploma the following year, he proceeded 
to Crediton, and set himself down in practice ; and had not long 
been resident there before, through his superiority of skill over the 
farriers and cow-leeches around him, he became eminently and ex- 
tensively known as a professional man of ability ; while through 
his kindly disposition and unceasing benevolence towards all with 
whom he had to do, he was no less universally known than re- 
spected and beloved ; the fruits of which conduct, a very extensive, 
lucrative, and thriving practice, he enjoyed during life, and has 
now left behind him. 
About a twelve month ago he found himself compelled to first 
take to his bed. During the spring of last year he rallied some- 
what. At the approach of winter, however, his disease again 
disabled him, confining him once more to that bed from which he 
never afterwards arose. That awful summons, death ! come in 
what shape it may, is very rarely welcome ; but most unwelcome 
of all is it when it comes to rob us of those who are busy spending 
their days here below in works of usefulness, of benevolence, 
and of charity to others. Such was the character of the late Mr. 
Robert Read. 
The pages of The Veterinarian will best attest what Mr. 
Read has achieved for veterinary science. His contributions date 
so far back as 1835 ; nor is our very last completed volume — that 
for 1849 — without papers of importance from his hand. Besides 
many valuable observations and curious cases related by him, as 
occurring in the course of practice, we might point attention for 
excellence to his papers — on “ The Nature and Treatment of 
Puerpural Fever in Cows” — on “ The Epidemic of 1840 among 
Horses” — on “ The Epidemic of 1841 among Cattle” — on “The 
Pathology and General Treatment of Cattle” — on “ The Points of 
Cattle, and the Formation of Muscle and Fat” — and, lastly, to his 
paper (intended to compete for the prize of the Royal Agricultural 
Society) on the “ Management of the Farm Horse.” 
