636 PRESENT STATE OF THE VETERINARY PROFESSION. 
that man act who has paid some attention to the history, habits, 
and liabilities of our patients. The more knowledge he possesses 
of their complicated frame, the less likely will he be to tamper 
himself, or suffer his menial to do so, when any part of the 
machine is out of repair. 
Each month do I welcome The Veterinarian as an old 
friend, and am eager to peruse its contents — never unfolding its 
pages but with pleasure, or reading them without information ; 
and, at times, I have, as a grateful return, ventured to throw my 
mite into the scale, and shall continue to do so as long as it is 
thought worthy of admission by you. 
Through the pages of this work how pleasing is it to view the 
onward progress of those who paced the College stones in one’s 
own day — those with whom we have had many a warm but good 
tempered debate, and to see that what was then theoretically ad- 
vanced, now carried into good practice. Had it not been for The 
Veterinarian, should we have ever heard of Pritchard on the 
Diseases of the Heart ; or, Friend on some of the leading dis- 
eases of the Cow ; or the Turners upon Open-joint, or One-side 
Nailing; or Simonds on Hernia; or Spooner upon Hock-joint 
Lameness, &c. ? and, although last, not least, would the beautiful 
Lectures of a Youatt have ever been in print? — I fear not. 
But, Sir, you would scorn me if while I thus speak of The 
Veterinarian, and still fancy that it has had and retains 
some faults, I did not with equal freedom speak out. Then, 
Sir, for some months past have I painfully witnessed how its 
pages have been robbed of some of its best papers, not only by 
the leading agricultural and sporting works, but by the pro- 
vincial press also, and, in many instances, without even acknow- 
ledging the source whence they obtained their plunder. Such, it 
may be said, is not the fault of the Editor, nor of the Contri- 
butors; but have they not had it a great deal in their power, 
do they not still have it in their power, to prevent this in future, 
by clothing their contributions in more scientific language? The 
leading journals of the medical profession are all so written. 
Can they not oftener remember that it is for the profession, not 
for the public, that they are writing? It is because they write 
so much in simple and unscientific language that many a man is 
to be found who will tamper with his favourite steed that would 
not for a moment think of doing so with a beloved parent or a 
fond child. 
As for the Transactions of the Society, I have always thought 
that they would be better published separate, quarterly or half- 
yearly, and disseminated among its members, in the same manner 
as the journals of the agricultural and other societies ; neither 
