THE EDITOR. 
461 
of these persons, and if it does not, the Farmer's Magazine 
most assuredly does, which extracts so much from it. 
We cannot calculate the extent of injury the printed reports of 
the late epizootic have done to the veterinary community. Look 
at the one sent forth by Professor Sewell ; and think of the harm 
it has done to practitioners. If the Professor could have foreseen 
the result of his circular, surely he would have been more guarded. 
Latterly other practitioners, either not seeing or feeling the effect 
of this, have acted very similarly, by sending very lengthy ac- 
counts of the epidemic among horses for insertion in The Vete- 
rinarian; and the generality of them, after minutely stating 
the symptoms, treatment, &c. wind up their papers by saying — 
as some did, that out of so many, — two or three hundred — they 
only lost one or two patients, and some none at all ; giving the 
distemper they spoke of a very light appearance to the public. All 
this has gone forth by means of the reports of the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society, The Veterinarian, and even the daily papers, 
and has found its way to most of our employers. How, then, has 
it come home to the poor veterinarian ? Why, the farmer who has 
twenty or twenty-five cows ill of the epidemic, instead of employ- 
ing him, meets the practitioner with the Professor’s circular in 
his hand, and says, “ I need not your help ; I can cure my cows 
myself .” Another agriculturist, with his team of horses affected 
with the influenza or distemper, says, from reading these accounts, 
“ I understand that this complaint is not at all fatal,” and there- 
fore at once makes himself easy about the matter ; and often either 
doctors them himself, or else lets them get well of their own ac- 
cord. Now this is no surmise, no exaggeration, but a matter of 
fact, and what 1 have repeatedly experienced from many of my 
own employers, in consequence, I say, of these printed circulars 
and papers. 
As accounts of the epidemics have got into so many channels, 
the probability is, that the next time a similar distemper breaks 
out, farmers and owners of cattle will make reference to them, 
and act as they have done now, to the injury of the veterinary 
surgeon. From what I have said, you wiil at once perceive we 
have suffered now, and we or our successors may hereafter. No 
wonder, then, “ that practitioners view with alarm and indigna- 
tion the public circulation of Professor Sewell’s papers,” and, I 
also add, the unnecessarily spun out papers on the epidemic 
among horses which have appeared in our own monthly Journal. 
Thus, Sir, you will see some just cause why many practitioners 
do not cordially support The Veterinarian. I have heard 
several very respectable men say, that if things are to go on as 
they have done, the practitioner will be ruined. Wc well 
