221 
MR. Coleman’s bust. 
1 found those who were acquainted with that which was of in¬ 
finitely greater importance,—the best mode of practising on the 
diseases of our chief patient. 
However, we went on comfortably, and as I imagined satisfac¬ 
torily, when Mr. Moorcroft thought proper to resign. He pleaded 
ill health—I could see no ill health at all. He also pleaded in¬ 
terference with his duty to those by whom he was employed in 
private practice of considerable extent; but his time at the Col¬ 
lege had been clearly specified—two hours, three days in the 
week, and with little or no call upon him for attendance at un¬ 
certain hours. It was not for me then, or now, to inquire into 
his motives, but I confess that I felt myself rather ill-used. 
“The situation in which I now found myself was perplexing and 
annoying to the greatest degree. I felt that I could not, with¬ 
out many mortifying reflexions, return to my first profession ; 
but I felt also that it would be presumptuous, perhaps disho¬ 
nourable, for me, so little versed in veterinary matters, to super¬ 
intend the interests and the growth of the infant school, and, 
after much serious consideration, I determined also to resign. 
^^The governors gave me credit for the feelings by which I was 
influenced, but they were unwilling to accept my resignation; 
and my own private friends, relying on my industry, and I may, 
perhaps, be permitted to say, on my principle also, urged me to 
stay. They conceived that a course of severe study, and from 
which they thought, and I trust j ustly thought, 1 should not shrink, 
would at no great distance of time make me fairly qualified to pre¬ 
side over that institution, and, perhaps, better qualified than most 
other men at that day would be. I yielded—whether rightly or 
not my pupils and the profession must judge—and I became sole 
Professor of the Veterinary College. 
“ I trust that you will give me credit for losing no time in 
preparing myself for my arduous duties. While I made myself 
more thoroughly acquainted with the anatomy and physiology 
of the horse, and the symptoms of his diseases, I instituted a 
course of experiments on the power of certain drugs on certain 
of his functions, and on his constitution generally. I brought 
with me all my prejudices as a surgeon. I imagined that the 
VOL. VI11. II h 
