VETERINARY SCIENCE DEFENDED. 
507 
In the words of Dr. Parr, “ He who can look with rapture upon 
the agonies of an unoffending and unresisting animal, will soon 
learn to view the sufferings of a fellow-creature with indifference.” 
Do not the interests of society, I repeat, loudly call for a pro- 
hibitory measure? Feeling satisfied that, by the judicious interfer- 
ence of the legislature, national education could be placed upon 
a sound and safe basis, is it not the duty of every parent having 
children whom he loves, every philanthropist who wishes well 
to his fellow man — every admirer and valuer of those luxuries af- 
forded him by that noble animal the horse — every patriot who 
glories in the supremacy of British intellect, to lose no time in 
urging this great measure on the notice of our assembled rulers ? 
What ! I am inclined to ask, while my eye traverses the pages 
of your last journal but one — are the laws of social institutions, the 
whole systems of education, the progress of science to be at once 
suspended? Are all the time-honoured scientific processes of edu- 
cation, all advancement of useful knowledge, to be baffled in their 
course, and at once upset? Is a national school, a Royal Veteri- 
nary College, founded upon a basis as sacred and firm as the stra- 
tum upon which Britannia rests her secure and unshaken foot- 
ing, to be at once annihilated by a Huntingdon farrier. Pre- 
posterous idea ! miserable assertion ! disgusting and insulting to 
common sense ! Every graduate of the College must feel the 
grievous imputation. As such it will be looked back upon with 
silent contempt, or spurned with merited censure by the bulk of 
population ; and so will any assertions intended to depreciate an 
institution of such agricultural importance, and of such great 
national utility. If it ever can be proved upon true and rational 
grounds that the present system or mode of education is in itself 
useless or degrading, and that the acquirement of useful know- 
ledge is depreciated by common sense, then, but not until then, 
will it be time enough to think of a change : but, even then, and 
so long as the human heart is not thoroughly corrupt, and all 
the finer feelings of human nature deadened to a sense of the 
advantage derivable from the acquirement of useful knowledge 
and scientific research, will the discreditable ideas of empiricism 
meet in the bulk of society and the enlightened portion of com- 
munity with no other feeling than that of direct or indirect aver- 
sion. 
[There is a great deal of good sense in this homely and terse ad- 
dress. Our leader will contain another of a somewhat differ- 
ent character, but intimately connected with our interests, 
and after the insertion of which we shall beg to return to prac- 
tical matter of a different kind. — Ed.] 
