VETERINARY EDUCATION. 
13J 
One dissection at that time will be • worth 50 mangled sub¬ 
jects. The country over which you will then travel will be 
familiar to you. You will recognize the different objects as they 
present themselves. You will comprehend all their connexions 
and uses : and the impression which will then be made on your 
mind will not afterwards be obliterated. 
You will have no excuse for the neglect of this. Your sub¬ 
jects are easily procured—they are not offensive or dangerous, 
and they will not cost you much. Every impediment to the 
knowledge of minute anatomy is thrown in the way of the 
student of human medicine, • by the existing state of our laws, 
and by general prejudice; but no apology can be made, if you 
neglect that without the knowledge of which you will be a 
mere pretender. 
Make yourself thoroughly master of each organ as you go 
on.' Compare the account of each, given by your Lecturer, with 
what careful dissection discovers; and his conclusion with your 
own. Consult Richerand on each. Take him for all in all, I 
cannot recommend to you a better book. Read Percivall and 
Blaine. The study of these works, without dissection, will be 
comparatively unsatisfactory and unimproving; but, after the 
diligent use of the scalpel, you will be prepared to make all that 
is valuable in them your own. 
In the evening, after reviewing the work of the day, and con¬ 
tinuing your physiological and philosophical reading, take 
some book on Comparative Anatomy. Coulson’s Edition of 
Lawrence^s Translation of Blumenbach is an excellent work. 
I must here beg leave to enter my humble but decided protest 
against the assertion of your expected Professor, that Compara¬ 
tive Anatomy will mislead the Veterinary Student, and is worse 
than useless to him. No one knows better how to use, and very 
properly, acquirements drawn from Comparative Anatomy in 
defence of his own favourite theories. 
A consideration of the different structure of the same organ, 
according to the situation and wants of the animal,—the differ¬ 
ence of function depending on this difference of structure—and 
the difference in the nature, and connexion, and treatment, and 
termination of disease resulting from variety of structure and 
function must be very interesting, and highly advantageous. 
The muscular stomach and short intestines of the dog; the 
curiously constructed stomach and enormous length of bowel in 
the horse; the four stomachs, and yet the long and capacious 
intestines of the ruminants, will afford much matter for useful 
reflexion. These will be your patients. Comparative Anatomy, 
thus far, must be studied by you, if you are faithful to yourself 
