418 
SITTINGS OF THE COUNCIL. 
he in a negative sense. Blood-letting, after full and fair trial, we 
have set our faces against. We feel quite sure that more horses, 
with this disease, have been killed than were ever saved by it. 
Indeed, we question its utility or admissibility in any case par- 
taking of the nature of what we all understand by influenza. 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE ROYAL 
COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
Special Meeting , held May 28, 1850. 
The Council were assembled, on this occasion, in pursuance of the 
instructions of the Charter, for the purpose of electing a President, six 
Vice-Presidents, and a Secretary, for the (sessional) year ensuing. 
The Members PRESENT were, Messrs. Henderson, Ernes, 
Pritchard, Godwin, Cherry, senior, Morton, W. C. Spooner, 
Wilkinson, Braby, Peech, Field, King, Simonds, Withers, J. Turner, 
Robinson, Goodwin, Sylvester, Percivall, and the ( ci-devant ) Se- 
cretary. In the void created by there being no President, Mr. 
Robinson, the senior member present, and who had presided in 
the absence of Mr. T. Turner at the General Meeting, was re- 
quested to take the Chair. 
The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, 
The Chairman announced that their first business was to elect a 
President, the College being at that moment without one. He 
said it had been the custom to nominate some person or persons to 
fill the office. 
To this (nomination) it was objected that such a course might 
lead to favoured predilection ; and at the same time it was aptly 
remarked that custom afforded a precedent for their guidance in as 
far only as it had been, on former occasions, found to be a good or 
a bad custom. It was feared also that nomination might give rise 
to some discussion of the respective merits of individuals proposed, 
and that such might possibly lead to some unpalatable remarks. 
Under these circumstances, it was decided by the majority of the 
members that no nomination should take place. 
It was asked, at this time, whether Mr. Thomas Turner’s health 
was such as to enable him to resume the Chair, in case of his re- 
election ; to which his brother, Mr. James Turner, replied, that he 
was happy to say it was, and that he would with pleasure again 
undertake the duties of Chairman, should the Council be pleased 
to elect him. The balloting papers were then handed round, and, 
