UiNGRADUATED VETEKIXARY SURGEON. 
209 
Many times I have thought of writing to you on the subject 
which is the drift of the present letter; but from some cause or 
other I have been deterred up to the present time. I certainly take 
encouragement from your past kindness in addressing this note to 
you. Tlie few letters which I wrote in times past you kindly fa¬ 
voured me with the insertion of in the veterinary journal, for 
which I confess I am greatly obliged to you. I should have 
written more frequently if I could only have persuaded myself 
that I was capable of reflecting one ray of light on veterinary 
science; but being only a kind of smatterer in anatomy and phy¬ 
siology, I felt timid and reluctant to express my ideas on any ab¬ 
struse or theoretical topic. I am not a certified veterinary surgeon, 
which I for some time past have determined to be, or not to prac¬ 
tice at all. This is the millstone about my neck—this is the source 
of a thousand heart-achs. Although I can and did treat the dis¬ 
eases of horses and cattle as judiciously and scientifically as any 
of the mnnerous practitioners in a circuit of many miles, yet in the 
estimation of those whom I would fain call my brethren, and in 
my ov\m estimation too, I am little, if any thing, above an empiric. 
This feeling became so deep as to cause me, about nine months 
ago, to cease practising altogether. Prior to this period, and for 
some years, I fought lion-like with many of iny competitors, and 
laboured hard to maintain my ground against them. Perhaps I 
thought that my principles of practice and mode of proceeding Avere 
as judicious as any of theirs, for theirs consisted, and yet consist, 
chiefly in torture and cruelty ; while I was ever guided by a deep 
feeling of the duties of humanity. But a question like the follow¬ 
ing being again and again put to me, “ Have you been at the Vete¬ 
rinary College forced me now and then to relinquish the combat, 
and precipitately to retreat from the field of battle. Not that I 
w'as incapable of wielding the w’eapons of controversy when op¬ 
posed to such men ; but that I had no central point whence to di¬ 
rect my attack, or on which occasionally to retreat. I found the 
main hold-fast wanting, viz. a diploma. 
f^erhaps I have no claim thus to occupy your valuable time. 1 
shall, therefore, proceed at once to the points on which I am anxious 
to obtain information. What length of time should I be required 
to remain at the College, and what would the expenses probably 
amount to? 
f am afraid my chance will be a poor one; but believe me. Sir, 
if I do ^u)t pay you a visit, it will be on account of not having a 
sufficiency of money. 1 have maintained myself and family by 
practising and keeping a retail drug-shop hitherto; but now I have 
declined both. I arn thirty-two years of age, and have been mar¬ 
ried; but my wife dying, and various other cross events occurring. 
