692 
MR. COWIE IN REPLY TO MR. DICK. 
notice of any truly impartial critic. I have inserted nothing 
which, upon reference to the original records, an exact copy of 
which is now in my possession, as lately sent me for the present 
occasion, is not fully substantiated, if not, as in one or two in¬ 
stances in the exact words, at least to the same meaning; and 
no one can say I have chosen extracts which, when separated 
from the context, bear a different meaning or construction. Is 
Mr. Dick, then, justifiable in employing the criticism and lan¬ 
guage he has done towards me ? Is it consistent with common 
professional courtesy? Is it just that, upon so slight grounds, 
one member of the profession should traduce another in the scur¬ 
rilous manner Mr. Dick has done me ? I presume not: and I 
throw back his imputations upon himself, as totally uncalled for, 
undeserved, and, under all the circumstances, quite unworthy 
a gentleman filling, and deservedly so, the honourable situation 
be does. Mr. Dick must not think that, because his reputa¬ 
tion is considerable, and a lecturer besides, he can, at his own 
discretion, command, criticise, or abuse with impunity, his less 
able and less experienced brethren in the profession who may 
have crossed the Tweed to prosecute their studies. Shall they 
submit to be made martyrs at the shrine of the Edinburgh ve¬ 
terinary seminary every time they dare call in question, either 
professionally or otherwise, when occasion occurs, the conduct of 
any of its members ? I hope not. Presumption it might be in 
me to question the ability and practice of Mr. Dick, which I 
have never done; but I flatter myself it would not be so in re¬ 
spect to any of his pupils I have met with in this part of the 
country. 
One word more. Mr. Dick finishes with a misrepresentation; 
I shall finish by correcting him. “ Mr. Cowie is wrong in con¬ 
demning the measures adopted by those who treated the case, be¬ 
cause he afterwards recommends what they had done, with the 
exception of the use of tonics.” Where does Mr. Dick find such 
“ recommendation” recorded by me? Nowhere! I approve of 
the lenient treatment adopted in such cases by Mr. Dick; but, 
regarding the farrier’s treatment, my words are, “ certainly no¬ 
thing of an efficient nature was done to the horse in question.” 
I have never been taught, elementary nor experimentally, to cut 
tails, labii muscles, blow up the cellular membrane, &c. for the 
cure of diseases, and shall leave “ the grossest quacks that ever 
pretended to physic,” and such like, to do so; and refer them to 
Mr. Dick, of Edinburgh, for a justification and character. 
