600 
THE YOUATT TESTIMONIAL 
portant matter — the more cumbrous one of Feron, somewhat too loosely 
written, yet containing no inconsiderable portion of valuable matter — the 
hastily compiled Pathology of Ryding — the marvellous accounts of Mr. 
Wilkinson’s encounter with and victory over Tetanus. These works com- 
prised the literature of our art. They w r ere all of them by turns my com- 
panions ; but I communed oftenest, and most pleasantly, and, I could begin 
to find, most profitably, with the Lectures of Mr. Percivall. I had not the 
honour of his personal acquaintance then : but as volume followed volume, 
and each exceeded its predecessor in beauty of style, and in professional 
value, I began occasionally to look about me for some unoccupied, some in- 
ferior portion of our art, where I too might labour, and, possibly, not alto- 
gether fruitlessly, in this noble cause. 
In 1824, Girard, jun., the pride of the veterinary profession in France, in 
connexion with Royer- Collard, a physician of eminence in Paris, commenced 
the first French Veterinary Periodical, “Recueil de Medicine Veterinaire.” 
When I say the first veterinary periodical of France, I perhaps should except 
the “ Instructions et Observations sur les Maladies des Animaux Domes- 
tiques,” by Chabert, Flandrin, and Huzard. These appeared annually, from 
1790 to 1795. The effect of Girard’s periodical was electrical in France. 
His journal soon began to be filled with essays of sterling value. Soon the 
names of Vatel, Yvart, Grognier, Rainard, and Moiroud, were added to his: 
and in the beginning of 1826 a rival journal was started, under the editorship 
of Dupuy and Vatel. 
I was not an inattentive observer of this; and at the close of 1827, I had 
determined, although known to but few of my veterinary brethren, to try how 
a veterinary journal would do in England ; but it soon became known to me 
that Mr. W. Percivall and Mr. Bracy Clark had formed the same determina- 
tion. I should not have stood the slightest chance against either of those 
gentlemen, and I exercised the part of discretion, and withdrew. 
The Veterinarian appeared. The literary attainments, the scientific 
acquirements, and the high spirit of William Percivall were sufficiently evi- 
denced in the first number ; and there w as a presiding spirit influencing and 
giving its proper tone and character to such a work — his father John Per- 
civall, — a man cast in Nature’s noblest mould. I ventured to send a con- 
tribution to the first number. It was my first appearance as a veterinary 
writer, and it gave a new tone and colour to my thoughts and pursuits. It 
w as kindly received by Mr. Percivall. It was in company with a paper by that 
justly esteemed and sterling friend to his profession, Mr. King, sen., and a 
valuable paper from a correspondent who concealed himself under the signa- 
ture of Z, and whose name we never could discover; these three, short 
papers all of them, constituted the whole of the assistance which Mr. Per- 
civall received in his first number. With his wonted courtesy he favoured 
me with a call, and then commenced a friendship which was the pride of my 
future life, and which will cease only with death. 
Februar}’ came, and there was one contribution from me, but every sen- 
tence beside emanated from the pen of the Editor. There was, however, 
one addition, and an invaluable one, the commencement of Mr. Percivall’s 
“ Anatomy of the Horse.” I must not say that this noble work owes its ex- 
istence to The Veterinarian, but, at least, there it began to appear. We 
now frequently met, and serious, and not of the most pleasant character, 
were our communings. I was afraid that he would have retired with disgust, 
but at one of our meetings he offered, what I had not dared to ask, to re- 
ceive me as a coadjutor. You may suppose with what pleasure and determi- 
nation to discharge my duty this offer was accepted. 
Mr. Percivall, from the very commencement of The Veterinarian, had 
