THE VETERINARY PROFESSION. 
399 
his diploma until he has been at least twelve months engaged 
in the study of the profession at the College.” This is some¬ 
thing, if it be strictly adhered to. I am told, that even this 
twelvemonths’ residence has not been, since this announcement, 
in every case required. It is your duty to find out this, and 
report it, and expose it as it deserves. But you must not be con¬ 
tent with this. Twelve months alone devoted to the study of the 
anatomy and diseases of all domestic animals (for such was the 
wide range of the pupil’s education, and such it must be again) ! 
this carries absurdity on the very face of it. You must go back, 
or force others to do it (I do not flatter you when I tell you that 
the hold which you have justly acquired on the good opinion of 
the profession and the public will enable you to accomplish this, 
if you fearlessly do your duty); you must go back to the original 
time, at least, with those who had no previous preparation,—the 
time in every veterinary college in Europe but the English one. 
You must trace and expose the causes, and motives, and ina- 
noeuvrings which led to the abominable deviation from the ori¬ 
ginal period of education. You must obtain for the student, not 
only the lengthened period of education which was required, but 
the kind of education which will fit him for the discharge of the 
whole of his duty, and prepare him to occupy a higher rank in 
society—that education v 7 hich the founders of the College ex¬ 
cellently traced, but which the present managers of it have alto¬ 
gether forgotten ; then, perhaps, we shall have fewer students, 
but they will be better qualified ; the very expense of their edu¬ 
cation wall be a guarantee that they have not been grooms or 
porters,—that they did not come from the lowest of the low: 
and be assured, gentlemen, that then, and then only, you may 
hope to accomplish the objects for which you are now somewhat 
prematurely contending. 
I read w r ith some interest the account of your last dinner. 
There was a sentence in one of Mr. Percivall’s speeches which 
contains, with a little addition, the very pith and marrow of my 
meaning. “ So long,” says he, ct as the profession is made up 
of such an heterogenous mass, so long is it impossible that its 
members can harmonize and amalgamate. It can only be when 
