90 
ON THE PRESENT DEGRADED STATE 
their employers, had we the proper balance to offer in our own 
favour, we should never omit the opportunity of pointing out to 
men of influence and intelligence the glaring incongruities that 
are suffered to exist in our Royal Veterinary College, as it is 
called, to the actual loss and discredit of both the public and the 
profession. 
When such men as rat-catchers, mutton-pie-men, razor-grin¬ 
ders and tinkers, are admitted at the Veterinary College, some¬ 
thing more must be done to secure the continuance of these cus¬ 
tomers than merely to enter them ; and therefore a committee of 
examiners is continued, who can and do know little about the dis¬ 
eases of the horse, and the manner of treating them, and absolutely 
nothing at all about sheep and cattle, and who are no more ca¬ 
pable of judging of the actual qualification of the pupil than Mr. 
Jenkins the cupper, or Mr. Tomkins the dentist, or Mr. St. John 
Long of Harley Street. They may perhaps know that Mr. Cole¬ 
man teaches such a theory, or Mr. Sewell administers such a 
drug out of his “ Pocket Pharmacopeia but they are no more 
able to judge of the truth of that theory, or the effect of that 
drug, than the man in the moon. All they can do is, to ascer¬ 
tain whether the candidate for a diploma professes to believe in 
the theory, or promises to administer the drug ; and agreeably to 
this, they pass or reject him. And there are high-minded ho¬ 
nourable men who act a part in this farce, and submit to this dis¬ 
grace. 
The public cannot too often be reminded of the circumstance, 
that the only men proscribed by the governors from attending 
the College meetings, where their suggestions might be of service, 
are veterinary surgeons. The following observation of Mr. 
William Percivall, in the introduction to his elementary Lectures, 
is in some measure applicable, viz. “ the man who barters his 
reputation for dirty pounds, shillings, and pence, be he who he 
may, whether he preside over or be a member of it, forfeits the 
good will and confidence of a profession ; he living dishonoured, 
and, dead, leaves a name a blot in its history.” But, then, is it 
not inherent that we should all take care of our own interest, in 
preference to that of others ? and the fault still lies at the door 
those imbeciles who attempt to preside over the veterinary 
institution, and who, in their sapience, have thought proper to 
exclude the only class of persons who could enlighten them upon 
the inconsistencies that Messrs. Coleman and Sewell are conse¬ 
quently now suffered to practise within the walls of the Royal 
Veterinary College quietly, and without the annoyance of being 
reminded of them by any one. 
The Percivalls, the Fields, the Turners, and Messrs. Goodwin, 
