VETERINARY PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS. 
5 
knows, we have progressed: so gradually, that, were the lec¬ 
tures given at the present day at the College compared with 
those delivered twenty years ago, we verily believe that the re¬ 
sult of the comparison would incline us to conclude we were 
gradually rc^ro-gressing instead of gradually ^ro-gressing.—But, 
to proceed with our extracts—Next follows a string of remarks, 
some of them pertinent and proper enough, which appears to 
have been woven to repel some opposition the College at that 
day had to contend with, and at the same time to reply to cer¬ 
tain complaints of some of the Subscribers, which had origi¬ 
nated in the misrepresentations and falsehoods of their grooms, 
Vi^hose interest then, as it is at the present day, was evidently 
anti-collegial. The two concluding paragraphs are to our pur¬ 
pose ; we shall therefore transcribe them. The first of these 
commences with two sentences we have already quoted, about 
over-ratins: the Professor’s abilities, and thus continues— 
The Institution is still in its infancy; and, although the Public in gene¬ 
ral, and the Subscribers to the Veterinary College in particular, have a right 
to expect some improvements in the Veterinary Art, yet the necessity of sober 
and long-continued investigation^ before the truth of almost any opinion can be 
established, must be admitted. To ascertain the best remedies for any dis¬ 
ease, requires numerous experiments^ much observation, and loyig experience. 
Without these precautions, hasty conclusions and false opinions may be form¬ 
ed from new facts, which future investigation may contradict. It is there¬ 
fore wished to be understood, that, although observations will be always of¬ 
fered with more or less confidence, as he is convinced of their truth; yet, in 
many instances, longer experience and more minute inquiry may hereafter set 
aside favourite opinions. Nevertheless, even such a failure will be attended 
with some advantages to the public.” 
Whether this was intended to pave the w ay for any errors the 
Professor might be led into, or, as a coat of varnish, to make 
the Public believe that he was achieving great deeds in produc¬ 
ing a number of the Transactions*’ annually, it is not worth our 
while to stop to inquire: our interpretation of the homonymy 
is this—That, although the College was in infancy’^ the Pub* 
tic had a right to expect something from it; but that this right 
