686 
THE ANNUAL ORATION, 
/ edged professions, numerous are the individuals who have thus 
pre-eminently distinguished themselves — having arrived at well- 
earned reputation, with ample means, and standing in society 
of the very first order. And is this, Gentlemen, give me leave 
to ask you, is this too fond a hope for us belonging to the 
veterinary art to indulge in, although the day may be a some- 
what distant one ? I have heard enough to induce me to answer, 
No! 
I use the w r ord art, not profession, because I am informed on 
authority that ours is not legally a profession, and is not acknow- 
ledged as such by any other profession than the medical. The 
late lamented stars of the medical profession — England’s pride — 
have already conferred upon us an honorary stamp, by conde- 
scendingly styling ours the sister science, both publicly and pri- 
vately ; and to their friendly relationship, and thus acknowledged, 
we owe, to one and all of them, a debt of lasting gratitude. 
When we consider the condition of the veterinary art, both as . 
respects its attainments in science and also the estimation in 
which it was held by the public, half a century ago/ as compared 
with the preset ; era, I^fgr ^je^mo^, cl^^fyi^acki^piPdge that-** 
there is much reason foreongratulation. Our improved position is 
mainly attributable to those epinenjt anc^zealous teacher's in the 
various medical schools who have spent their valuable lives in 
disseminating sound information, both theoretical and practical, 
for the benefit of the numerous class of practitioners scattered 
throughout the empire ; and who, by their exemplary conduct in 
all the relations of life, have had stamped upon them the charac- 
ter both of gentlemen and men of science. In consequence of 
this the veterinary surgeon has had the rugged path of difficulty 
and labour occasionally much softened by the friendly acknow- 
ledgments of men of noble birth or fortune, who have been free 
in their expressions of gratification while in the society of the 
veterinarian, and listening with attentive ear to a point of science 
that had interested them, have been too generous to withhold 
their meed of praise for the information thus obtained. 
Real lovers of horses, of all grades and conditions in life, justly 
estimate and respect our art ; but the uninitiated in such matters 
do not exactly know our position, and at present very much ques- 
tion our right to professional consideration. I must here be per- 
mitted to detail an occurrence that happened to myself in the slim- 
mer of the last year, and which confirms my observation : — Hav- 
ing to attend at Warwick sessions as witness and prosecutor of a 
man who stole two horses, the property of two gentlemen, from a 
field of mine at Croydon, and which ended in the offender being 
found guilty and sentenced to be transported for ten years, the 
