REMARKS on a case of enteritis in a mare. 197 
conscientious discharge of his duties, he may, from the same 
cause, be oftentimes thwarted in carrying out his best and most 
laudable intentions ; and, how persons, inadequate to perform 
what they profess, may with impunity venture to undertake (if 
they are unfortunately allowed) the important responsibility of 
preserving the lives of animals, that, owing to their ignorance 
and consequent injudicious management, are but too frequently 
rendered a sacrifice. 
Such is the case that I have now described, but it is only one 
out of a thousand of similar character, that are constantly taking 
place in various parts of the country. The lives of thousands of 
valuable animals have been put in jeopardy? or even lost, by the 
uneducated pretender usurping that position which should be 
alone occupied by the practitioner of acknowledged competency. 
This brings me to another and very important consideration. 
In addition to the evils just noticed, we must take into account 
those which militate against the public weal. The great bulk 
of mankind, and especially those whose minds are not sufficiently 
informed to enable them to act with sound judgment, are liable to 
be ensnared and governed by the wily sophisms of interested 
quacks, who, having no character to uphold, are reckless about 
the injury they may inflict upon the feelings or property of others, 
provided they can by so doing attain their personal ends. If 
a too great majority of persons are not sufficiently wary to dis- 
tinguish between the propriety of confiding the well-being of the 
lower animals to the care of those who have sought, for a succes- 
sion of years, every opportunity of acquainting themselves with 
their structure both in health and disease, and, on the other hand, 
the impropriety of countenancing an opposite state of things, it 
is to be hoped the contemplated enactment of legislative measures 
calculated to annihilate the dangerous impositions of those who 
have not been duly qualified by a previous course of study will, 
in the end, be the means of effecting a great public good, and 
will be cordially supported by every one that wishes well to his 
profession. It is to be lamented that, in these enlightened days, 
no compulsory regulations have been hitherto set in force that 
would by their operation tend to suppress such injurious proceed- 
ings, by prohibiting individuals whose qualifications have not been 
thoroughly tested from assuming the profession of veterinary sci- 
ence. Numerous circumstances concur in proving that the time has 
now arrived when it may be considered the duty of every properly 
constituted member of the veterinary profession to exert all his 
energies in effecting immediate redress of the grievances under 
which the duly qualified members of our art have too long laboured. 
vol. xv. n d 
