138 GRIEVANCES OF THE VETERINARY PROFESSION. 
a work was necessary, all must acknowledge; and too much 
cannot be said in praise of its spirited editors. 1 have now be¬ 
fore me the numbers for February and March. In the former, I 
observe a letter, replete with sound argument, from the pen of Mi . 
Langworthy, on the necessity of veterinary reform. His ideas and 
views on this momentous subject are strictly congenial with 
mine; and as far as my humble capacity will carry me, I shall 
pursue his track, and give him my cordial support. 
Mutare vel timere sperno. 
Two years have elapsed since I last visited your metiopolis, 
when I had the honour of dining at the anniversary dinner held 
at the Freemasons’ Tavern. At that period I attempted to ad¬ 
dress the chairman, and was proceeding to lay before him the 
grievances under which we laboured, and the degradation into 
which we w ere fallen, when, Sir, I was compelled to sit down, 
owing to the ungentlemanly and disgraceful conduct of many indi¬ 
viduals then present. It now appears to me that the daik, daik 
cloud which has for so long a period been hovering over us, is 
beginning to disperse; and methinks I see a glorious light ema¬ 
nating through its density. Happy indeed, Sir, am I to see that 
some gentlemen, more capable than myself, have begun this giand 
work. I tell them, go on, Sirs, go on, and the laurels of victory 
will crown your labours. . 
Is there not cause for lamentation, and great lamentation 
Most certainly, yes; and no man possessing common understand¬ 
ing can contradict the assertion. Is is fair, is it just, that tie 
man who pays his twenty-guinea entrance fee to the college, an 
remains there for only two or three short months, and then leaves 
that establishment and starts as a regular veterinary surgeon, 
knowing as much of anatomy and pathology as the annna le 
purposes to attend, should have the same privileges and advan¬ 
tages as the one who has served a long apprenticeship, and a - 
tended the college for many times that period, and, lastly, undei- 
gone the proper ordeal, and obtained his diploma ? I say tins is 
wrong, palpably wrong; and whilst such an e\il exists, mam 
tain a diploma is of no honour to its possessor. It has already 
been told you, that in country places the uneducated, illiterate 
farrier, is ‘looked up to, and actually takes the bread from the 
mouth of the intelligent and scientific practitioner. 
“ If ignoraece is gain, ’tis folly to be wise. 
Allow me here to insert a certificate from a smith and fauiei of 
notoriety:— 
