554 
COltRESP ON DENC E WITH 
whose profession’s honour and well-being are at stake, I must, in 
accordance with duty and principle, endeavour to recommend no- 
thing, unless it tends to strengthen the bonds of concord and har- 
mony among the members of that profession, as well as protect 
its future interests from the insidious designs of the selfish, or 
those of the knave, who is ever ready to advantage himself at 
others’ expense. 
But, whatever may be done, let it be the determination of 
guarding our honour as well as our other interests. In order to 
do this effectually, it seems to me that a medium course is the 
best: first, because by not being too exclusive we shall avoid 
the peril of being styled mysterious quacks ; and, secondly, by 
adopting a technical phraseology, as the human surgeon, without 
suppressing the spread of scientific knowledge, we shall prevent 
the ignorant and illiterate from profitting by the results of our 
expensive education and acquirements. The mischief done to 
the profession is not effected by the clever and scientific, but by the 
obstinate and ignorant, for the former will at once send for the 
regular practitioner upon the first appearance of danger, while 
the latter will rather prefer, for present economy, to quack him- 
self ; and, seldom or ever, should he happen to have a plain receipt 
book, &c., will he think of applying elsewhere, until he has ex- 
hausted all his nostrums. At last, and only when too late for the 
saving of life, is the veterinary surgeon summoned, — and for 
what ? — why, just to see the victim of bungling obstinacy expire, 
and himself to have the usual honour of being said to be — never 
of any service ! 
In conclusion, I have only to observe that, with such charac- 
ters as a Percivall, a Dick, a Youatt, a Morton, a Karkeek, &c., 
&c., to support it, The Veterinarian can never fall to the 
ground. But if the chaff will separate itself from the wheat, 
why, let it e’en do so ; and then will be seen more immediately 
its true quality, viz. that it is really nothing but chaff, instead 
of being genuine grain. 
From Mr. J. Horsburgh, F.S., Dalkeith . 
My dear Sir, — I share in the surprise of many with whom 1 
am in the habit of occasionally associating, at the spirit of dis- 
satisfaction manifested by several practitioners at the straightfor- 
ward way in which the diseases of our patients have been occa- 
sionally described, and veterinary affairs in general treated of, in 
your Journal. What is the cause of that dissatisfaction I Have 
they not, again and again, been benefitted by the records of 
