ON THE STUDY OF THE DISEASES OF CATTLE. 
By Mr. Roberts. 
I HOPE my motives in thus presuming to offer a few remarks 
on the subject of the veterinary profession will not be miscon¬ 
strued ; for, believe me, my only object is to guard young men 
who are now qualifying themselves for practice from running 
into those errors (for errors they really are) that have fallen to 
my lot. In the first place, I beg to state, that I was apprenticed 
to Mr. White, of Exeter; who, I regret to say (for I knew his 
value both as a liberal-hearted friend and as an ornament to his 
profession), is now no more. “ Requiescat in pace With him 
I remained more than six years, since which time, now twelve 
years ago, I have been practising in the north of Devon, but not 
with those advantages which would otherwise have been the 
case had I been acquainted with the diseases of cattle. During 
the whole time I was with Mr. White I never saw a bullock or 
sheep dissected for anatomical information, or attended to from 
disease; consequently, when I reached this district, where I was 
to commence practice on my own account, I knew nothing ot 
the diseases of cattle, which I now greatly regret, as my practice, 
from that cause, has been most materially limited. Many persons, 
by whose confidence and support I have been honoured, have in 
their possession (for you well know that the north Devon breed 
of bullocks are highly estimated by all competent judges) great 
numbers of bullocks and sheep, as well as horses, and which occa¬ 
sionally require veterinary aid. But alas ! when I am consulted, 
I am obliged to confess my total ignorance of the subject. I 
should have been an impostor had 1 professed an acquaintance 
with the disorders of these animals, when I had never studied 
them. Such is the truth of the case ; and the consequence has 
been, that some other person has been called in who professed to 
have a knowledge of their diseases, while I was a mere looker-on, 
in which capacity many painful reflections upon the great omis¬ 
sion in my early education have been forced on me ; and 1 have 
been taught, by dearly bought experience, that a great deal more 
is to be learned in the veterinary profession than some of our in¬ 
structors seem to imagine. This is a faithful picture, although 
not a full-length one, of my situation, and that of many others ; 
and must be my apology for intruding on the pages of your 
valuable journal, and presuming to offer my humble “ advice to 
pupils at the Veterinary College, and others equally interested. 
Let them, while they have an opportunity, attend all lectures given 
o 
