OF VETERINARY PRACTITIONERS. 
281 
ning u to steal fire from the mind and vigour from the limb/' I 
am anxiously waiting for the appearance of some younger man, of 
superior ability, and equal zeal, and, above all, of greater practice, 
(for practice without theory can alone avail here, and professed 
instruction not founded on personal observation would be a de¬ 
lusive mockery,) to whom I may resign the pleasing but arduous 
task : and then I shall retire with the consciousness of having 
first, in the English school, trodden this path of veterinary lore, 
and obtained for the pupil that additional instruction which his 
reputation and honour, and comfort in practice, and the honour 
of the veterinary school, and the interests of the country, de¬ 
manded. Of this claim at least, my enemies, if I have them 
(and I am not conscious of having acted so as to deserve it), can 
never deprive me. 
As to all the other fine things which the Chairman has said of 
me, I have a heart to feel the kindness of my friends, and suffi¬ 
cient sense highly and properly to estimate their attainments and 
their worth : but with regard to them, and the art which I have 
the honour to practise, my deeds, and not my professions, shall 
show the sincerity and depth of feeling by which my heart is 
penetrated. 
The Chairman next proposed, “ Professor Girard and the 
Foreign Veterinary Schools. 0 
In proposing this toast, Gentlemen, I must beg of you to ob¬ 
serve that Professor Girard has especial claims, as a foreign 
teacher and promoter of veterinary science, upon our notice. He 
has ever manifested towards the profession in this country the 
most liberal and amicable feelings: he has kept up with us a 
literary intercourse which only one other foreign professor has. He 
has taught with great success in his own school; and has pub¬ 
lished some excellent works, most of which are well known among 
ourselves. His son (lately deceased) was a young man of great 
promise: his death has occasioned a serious loss to veterinary 
science, and proved a source of deep and lasting despondency to 
the worthy Professor. 
Any gentleman about to visit the French capital, and who felt 
inclined to view the veterinary school at Alfort, would find all, 
p p 
vol. nr. 
