OF THE VETERINARY SURGEON. 
1G9 
on whose animals they practised, and the absence of legal autho¬ 
rity in their favour, that they have been obliged, in a considera¬ 
ble degree, to modify, or rather to nullify their plan, and, in 
some instances, to abandon it altogether. 
An opportunity now offers for the profession, by general con¬ 
sent, and one simultaneous effort, to rid themselves of this source 
of debasement. Why may not the veterinary surgeon's claim, in 
future, run thus, u For medical attendance on such a case, from 
such to such a date?" Then the sum,—shall it be arbitrary, or 
depend on the whim and caprice of the moment? No-while 
we do justice to ourselves let us not be unjust to others. At the 
beginning of our ledgers, or in some place, or under some form 
accessible to our employers, let us have a scale of charges for 
visits according to the distance, or time occupied, and for opera¬ 
tions, and manipulations, and medicines of all kinds: let an 
account be entered in our day-book of all that we do ; and then 
let the sum appended to our demand be the actual sum of what 
we have done, and, as nearly as possible, the sum which we are 
accustomed to charge in our present despicable way of doing 
business. We should then have the satisfaction of acting; ho- 
nourably towards others, while we vindicated our own honour; 
and we should have a ready answer to give, a ready justification 
to plead, in those cases which too frequently happen to the most 
scrupulous among us—they who have benefitted by our skill 
afterwards refusing adequately to remunerate it. 
The owner would have abundant reason to be satisfied with the 
change of system, in our more frequent, personal, and careful 
attention to the disease; in the absence of inconvenience and 
annoyance from the continued intrusion of our servants, and the 
forcing of drugs; and, in almost every case, the more rapid re¬ 
covery of the animal; and we, eventually, should in a pecuniary 
way profit by the change, for we should be more highly esteemed, 
and oftener employed. 
We throw out these hints for the consideration of our brethren. 
We have been strenuous advocates for reform in veterinary educa - 
tion; and we now point out a way in which veterinary practice 
may likewise be reformed. By their joint influence we might 
a a 
VOL. III. 
