PRESENT STATE OF THE VETERINARY PROFESSION, 633 
rience, and steadily pursues a consistent course in search of 
truth and sound principles of economy. 
If such a desirable mode of thinking should result, and be- 
come established through the fallaciousness of Professor Sewell’s 
circular, it is possible that the agriculturist may discover that it 
is far more advantageous, and much more likely to promote 
agricultural improvement, if they devote their time to the con- 
sideration of other subjects than the uncertain treatment of an 
epidemic among neat cattle. 
The acquirement of a knowledge of chemistry, and the nature 
and component parts of the different kinds of soil, might lead to 
much improvement in the process of manuring, either for the 
purpose of enriching the soil or destroying the different kinds of 
grubs, or the germination of seeds that produce a variety of 
noxious weeds, and which are often injurious to the growing crops ; 
so that, if it should be discovered that the science of chemistry 
is available for agricultural purposes, it is possible that a much 
less expensive mode of cultivation may produce a considerably 
larger quantity of the different kinds of grain. The relative pro- 
portions of nutriment contained in a given bulk of succulent 
and esculent roots, and the endless variety of plants that constitute 
the herbage, are also subjects well worthy of much consideration, 
and amply repay the labour of research. Then the highly im- 
portant subjects of breeding and rearing cattle, and a knowledge 
of the exterior conformation of domesticated animals, a profi- 
ciency in which subjects is so necessary to ensure any thing like 
tolerable success in feeding, would seem to require much obser- 
vation and mental labour before any thing like perfection can be 
attained in agricultural pursuits. 
Is not the system, too, of veterinary education worthy of 
much consideration by the body of agriculturists, as the present 
one affords no guarantee as to our competency to practise the art 
which we profess, and the lives of domesticated animals are in- 
volved in the degree of skill which we possess? Essential benefit 
would also be conferred, both upon the agricultural interest and 
the veterinary profession, if farmers and landed proprietors would 
join us in our efforts to procure an act of Parliament which 
should regulate the education of future veterinarians. An act for 
the better education of the veterinary surgeon would justly be 
viewed as an act for the protection of the lives of domesticated 
animals against empiricism. There are many practising the art 
whose scientific attainments would have been much more exten- 
sive if there had been a compulsory enactment to compel the 
students to reside a sufficient length of time at College for the 
purpose of allowing them opportunity to acquire a competent 
VOL. xiv. 4 o 
