556 REMARKS ON A PAMPHLET ENTITLED 
tant quarters to receive instruction; and, that they might as¬ 
sume some consequence on their return, they obtained testimo¬ 
nials from Mr. Dick, and, if I am not mistaken, from some of his 
friends—medical men, and members of the Highland Society 
The drift of this sentence will be easily seen by everybody; ay, 
even by the clodpole who whistles for want of thoughtand 
if I were the author of the Concise Account,’’ I would rather 
whistle for want of thought” too, before I would make such a 
malicious insinuation, which I had not the honesty, manliness, 
or courage, to tell broadly to the world. 
It is quite true, however, that the student obtained testi¬ 
monials from Mr. Dick,” or from his medical men and 
members of the Highland Society,” because these students un¬ 
derwent a thorough examination, and deserved their testimo¬ 
nials ; and if the author of the “ Concise Account” had applied 
for a testimonial too, perhaps he might have got it: if not from 
the medical men and members of the Highland Society, I am 
sure that he would have got one from Mr. Dick, for the ability 
which he displayed in practising—not veterinary surgery how¬ 
ever. 
The author of the ‘‘ Concise Account” must surely be a 
queer, pugnacious body, who will sit on his chair, with his arms 
a kimbo, like a tailor on his shopboard, saying to his fellows 
when he abuses them without a cause, Nemo me irnpune 
lacessetV^ or, in the words of my own dear native tongue, “ wha 
daur meddle wi’ me?’'—wha daur meddle wi’you I would 
say to the author of the Concise Account,” nobody surely 
would think it worth his notice ; nor will a bull take the trouble 
of shaking a wasp off his horn. 
In the same page (14th) the author adds: “ Lately there has 
been an annual examination of such pupils as were considered fit 
to practise. Several members of the Highland Society, a few 
of the Edinburgh physicians and surgeons, and sometimes an old 
pupil or two of Mr. Dick’s, attend, and assist upon these occa¬ 
sions.” What can this wonderful author mean by several 
members ?” Several may mean^ve, and five may mean a few,” 
and a few may mean several.” Five of the members of the High¬ 
land Society attend, and other five physicians and surgeons, be¬ 
longing to Edinburgh,of Mr. Dick; and they make the 
examinations of the students a mere matter of form; passing 
boobies and numsculls, possessing only ‘‘ one idea,” like the 
author of the Concise Account;” and that‘‘ single idea” turning 
out to be a wrong one, because it is an idea that he is not a 
dandified fellow,” who obtained his diploma elsewhere. Instead 
of five, however, there are upwards of fifty, medical men and 
