260 PRESENT STATE OF THE VETERINARY PROFESSION. 
rant fellows, who can scarcely read, and much less write, the 
man of education had been encouraged to enter the College 
walls, and which the College regulations would fain make us 
believe to be the case—then, indeed, might the letter of V. S. 
have been called a reply. 
On the contrary, I assert,—and it is not with any personal 
motive that I do it,—that it is now the interest of the Professor 
to keep the Veterinary College exactly as it has been for years; 
but, then, we are obliged to hear every time the subject is mooted, 
that the work of reformation is begun, that a pupil now cannot 
obtain a diploma from the medicals without having been a 
year at the College,—a whole year! ! Certainly, an adequate 
time for the acquirement of such a profession ! ! 
Still do we find every year in Mr. Coleman’s annual advertise¬ 
ment, that the anatomy and diseases of the horse, and all do¬ 
mestic animals, are fully discussed. Yet I know, that when I 
was at the College I never heard a syllable uttered upon either 
the anatomy or treatment of cattle of any kind ; indeed, I much 
doubt if the worthy Professors know any of the subjects,* and 
I would wager that they would be greatly puzzled were they 
requested to give the age of an ox, or any other ruminating 
animal, by inspecting his teeth. Yet do our continental brethren 
not only write upon these subjects, but upon others not even 
dreamt of at St. Pancras. 
The attempt to undersell the private practitioner in the metro¬ 
polis, by foisting upon the public drugs that no responsible 
man would, for his own credit sake, think of recommending, is 
unworthy such an institution. Look at the charges of the Col¬ 
lege medicines, and I defy any one to state, truly, that a good 
article can be supplied at their prices. When inferior Cape 
aloes and resin are the chief ingredients, perhaps, a profit may 
be made; but, if a practitioner has his livelihood to obtain, he 
must use such medicines as he can depend on; and I may with 
justice say, that there is not a veterinary surgeon in the towrn 
who does not feel the injustice and indignity offered to him in 
this instance. As a member of the veterinary profession, I should 
have been proud to have had it in my power to boast of the 
character that we ought to have attained, after nearly forty 
years’ growth; but can I, in the face of the daily exposures that 
take place (and were you only to look to Horse Causes, to verify 
the ignorance that is usually displayed, you need no better and 
more striking proof of the truth of this) attach to vete¬ 
rinary surgeons, as a body, that respectability and consideration 
which are only due to men of science ? Certainly not: and it 
needs no ghost to explain, that we are not the liberal and en- 
