372 
STRAY PAPERS ON 
Mr. would do all that was necessary, and that he would call 
again in a few days to see that all things were going on well.” The 
mystery was now unravelled, and afterwards we determined to have 
nothing more to do with Mr. . A circumstance occurred a 
few days afterwards which perfectly settled our resolution. A horse 
belonging to a titled lady had been very ill, but was recovering 
securely enough, yet not so rapidly as to keep pace with the im- 
patience of the owner. One morning we were desired to be at the 
stables at a certain hour to meet Mr. . We were there to a 
minute. “ I am afraid, Sir,” said the coachman, “ there is some- 
thing wrong. Mr. has been here, and he has been with my 
lady in the drawing-room, and we heard him talk about coming 
again to-morrow.” The coachman was perfectly right. We desired 
that Lady might be informed that we were waiting, and we 
received in answer, that her ladyship did not wish us to call again, 
and that we might send in our bills as soon as we pleased. It 
may be supposed that we never sent for Mr. again : but we 
did, again and again, refuse to meet him; always giving our rea- 
sons why, and that without hesitation or scruple. About a month 
afterwards, however, we had another precious sample of the min- 
gled ignorance and impudence, and rascality (we were going to say) 
of those who from their situation ought to be lights to their profes- 
sional brethren. We were attending a young and very promising 
horse, on which the owner put great value. It was a case of sup- 
pressed strangles. The tumour was, at length, beginning to come 
forward; but the owner was impatient. We received a note, in 
which we were requested to attend at a certain hour, in order to 
meet Mr. . We were punctual to our time, and we found, 
not Mr. , but one of the persons about his establishment. He 
had been in the stable about five minutes ; and, without the com- 
mon courtesy of waiting even that time, he had satisfied himself 
about the case, and had his lancet out, and, in another half-minute, 
would have bled the horse. Years passed, and we were afraid to 
call in any one. When we saw our way tolerably plainly, we 
resisted, so far as we could properly do so, the wish of our em- 
ployers on this point, and, perhaps, our practice is yet a little 
tainted by this dislike. We have, however, of late years, occa- 
sionally fallen in with gentlemen and honest men in these meet- 
ings; and yet, if we dared to tell them so, we were not quite 
satisfied even with them. It is not yet the consultation that we 
could wish*.” 
No apology will be expected by you for such a lengthened quo- 
tation as this, because the facts brought forward are by no means 
solitary instances in the veterinary profession; and they serve as 
* See Veterinarian, vol. vi, p. 133, and vol. ix, p. 21. 
