618 
STATE OF VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
of individuals is appealed to, not their passions and prejudices, 
I say that that periodical is deserving the support of every member 
of the profession. 
And now, in drawing the progress of the science to a close, I 
would observe that its anatomical part is no longer disgraced by 
the description of a gall-bladder, its physiological details by 
the story of nerves being long small bones, its pathology by 
such maltreatment of inflamed lungs as that of Merrick, nor its 
operative surgery by Foster’s cure of splents. But were there no 
obstacles in the way of this progress ? — were its paths always 
straight and even ? Yes ; there were obstacles that it had to con- 
quer which, in some men’s minds, might have been considered 
insurmountable. And what were these obstacles? Nearly all 
the passions of the human breast — lying, evil speaking, anger, 
hatred, and all uncharitableness — -popular prejudice — why ? Be- 
cause it destroyed those superstitious notions and practices which 
were deemed absolutely necessary for the safety and protection of 
their stock ; because the blacksmiths, cowleeches, &c. considered 
the art as an innovation on their system, and therefore they de- 
clared war against it with all their main and might. Such were 
the obstacles the science had to contend against from without. 
Within itself it was a mass of error — no well founded principles 
— no data to go upon— nothing to take for granted, as the basis 
on which to reason — it had every thing to find out — in short, 
false notions on anatomy, physiology, and pathology, were the 
internal obstacles to its advancement. Let us hope that the 
days are at hand when the obstacles which prevent the future 
progress of the profession shall be removed, and we shall behold 
the glorious light of the mid-day sun. 
In bringing this review of the past state of our science to a 
close, I would just recal the attention of your readers to the par- 
ticular facts that have hastily been brought under their notice, 
and the proofs by which they have been maintained. First of all, I 
divided that time on which we now look back upon into two dis- 
tinct periods, w 7 hich were called, from the great dissimilarity that 
exists between them, darkness and light. During the dark 
period we proved, by observations from the then practitioners 
themselves, that the science was involved in the densest clouds of 
barbaric ignorance and superstition. Secondly, I detailed the 
principal means that were employed to bring about a change and 
the result. Thirdly, I shewed what was the state of the science 
at the time the College was established, gave a slight sketch of 
the progress of the science to the present time, referred to the 
works of the practitioners themselves, and the improved state of 
every department in the profession, as proofs of my statements. 
