MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
690 
A great many traced it to the right cause, — the Circular of the 
Professor, — “ the only document of the kind which exists in vete- 
rinary medicine, and one to which the records of human medi- 
cine contain nothing similar.” Others, however, traced it to the 
diffusion of the knowledge of sheep and cattle medicine among 
the farmers by means of certain publications, and among the 
rest, and most of all, through the agency of The Veterina- 
rian, and, as stated in former numbers of this work, peripatetics 
were dispatched all over the country to put down the sale of this 
obnoxious and abominable publication. 
Mr. Friend kindly and truly says, that he “ exonerates The 
Veterinarian from all blame in the transaction.” The 
Veterinarian had, for many a year, found its way to every 
part of the kingdom, and no accusation of the kind had been 
successfully brought against it : but the charge was synchronous 
with the circulation of Professor Sewell's Circular , and with that 
alone. Such, however, was the belief, real or pretended, of many 
practitioners, and of the friends of the Professor, and one simul- 
taneous effort was made, but fruitlessly so, to destroy its reputa- 
tion or limit its sale. This happened towards the conclusion of the 
session before the last. 
In due time the students returned to the metropolis, and many 
brought with them the full determination to oppose themselves, in 
every possible way, to the diffusion of veterinary knowledge, ex- 
cept among a certain class. The meetings of the Association com- 
menced, and the discussion of the first night promised fairly with 
regard to the future season. But what quickly followed ? The sys- 
tem of exclusiveness developed itself in full force. The students 
entered as members of the Association, and on each succeeding 
Tuesday, they occupied their respective places in the Theatre, yet 
only from a very few could scarcely a word be elicited. At the 
close of the debate, the silent ones betook themselves to a cer- 
tain public house or tavern, and there fully entered into the subject, 
and discussed it in their own way. Here was the fatal blow to 
the improvement of the student during that session. Here was 
the sad answer to the question which the Secretary asks, “ When 
will the metropolitan members of our common profession give us 
their oft-solicited presence at our meetings?” Never, while such 
