AT THE VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
819 
cannot fail to excite our highest admiration. We see it composed 
of solid parts, called bones, and of softer structures, termed muscles ; 
of vessels, of nerves, of fasciae, of cellular tissue, and of integu- 
ment ; these being the primary elements in the composition of the 
various machines which are to form the subjects of our studies. 
These, indeed, are the wheels, and springs, and levers, which it is 
our business to examine, and thoroughly to understand. 
“ The ossific system is common to most animals, and a compara- 
tive glance at the various forms it assumes in different classes opens 
before us majestic wonders ; while it teaches us the uses of many 
structures otherwise veiled in obscurity, or it explains adaptations 
of which, without its aid, we should have lived in ignorance. 
“ How could we indicate the distinctive character of the bird and 
of the reptile so strikingly as by reference to the structure of their 
bones 1 A simple fragment of a fossil bone buried in the earth for 
a thousand years is, to the comparative anatomist or zoologist, a 
record of the history and habits of the animal to which it belonged, 
as evident as if it yet lived and stood before him.” 
Mr. Spooner then entered into a long and beautiful illustration 
of portions, ossific, muscular, vascular or nervous, of the different 
domesticated animals, — birds as well as quadrupeds. The reporter 
will not dare to follow him ; but it was a splendid outline of the 
path which he meaned to pursue, and of the pleasure and the im- 
provement which must be derived from such a course of study. 
“ These then, gentlemen, are the materials which compose our 
subject, and which are to form the theme of our labours during the 
present session. I have, as it were, culled but a few wild flowers 
from our prolific field, and have hastily thrown them together for 
your contemplation. In this selection, imperfect as it is, I have 
experienced much difficulty : stately and beautiful blossoms 
stretched themselves to my view ; but I have passed them by, 
seeing that in so vagrant a sketch I could not do justice to their 
deserts. 
u We have refrained, hitherto, from any personal allusions ; but 
ere we conclude, we deem it our duty to express to our hearers and 
pupils our determination to render the teaching of anatomy and 
physiology essentially practical : all vain and useless theories we 
