THE VETERINARY PROFESSION. 
639 
Are the interests of human medicine injured thereby ? are there 
any who complain? Rather, is not the human practitioner em- 
ployed in certain cases, and with regard to certain diseases, just 
in proportion as the character and proper treatment of these ma- 
ladies are generally understood? It is secresy and exclusiveness 
that lay the foundation for suspicion, and cause the practitioner 
to be disliked and misunderstood. 
The progress of science is slow but sure. The period has 
arrived when the husband and father no longer tamper with the 
diseases of those whom they love, but seek at once the advice 
and care of the medical man in whom they can place the greatest 
confidence, and of whose general knowledge and surgical skill 
they are assured. So will it, ere long, be with the veterinary 
surgeon to a considerable, and, sometimes, an almost equal extent. 
What is necessary to insure this, but the gradual march of public 
opinion and the knowledge of the talent and acquirements, and ho- 
nourable conduct and humanity of him whom they employ? Will 
mystery lay a proper foundation for this? No ! It must be by 
the candour and straightforwardness of the surgeon that the 
confidence of the employer will be won and retained. The 
affectation of any mystery will in a moment break the charm. 
Are we, then, to unbosom ourselves to our employer with regard 
to every symptom and every change that occurs ? Is he to be 
made acquainted with every drug that is employed and the mean- 
ing of every combination of medicaments ? By no means. When 
he is convinced that we understand the case which is brought 
before us he will not require us to descend to all the minutiae of 
treatment, or, if he did, we could give a brief and honest account 
of it that would not fail to satisfy him without divulging every 
secret. 
In conducting the present Periodical, our contributors and our- 
selves have generally endeavoured to give an account in as simple 
and straightforward a manner we could of the disease that was 
brought under our consideration, and of the mode of treatment, 
so far as general principles w ; ent. Perhaps we spoke of the cha- 
racter and intent of the remedial agents that were employed, but 
rarely of their combinations or their doses. In a few cases it is 
acknowledged that both we and our contributors have gone 
