DINNER OP THE VETERINARY STUDENTS. 95 
but ignorant of those minute differences of tissue or arrange¬ 
ment which influenced function, and also the result of his ex¬ 
periments, and rendered them of little or no worth. It was he 
alone to wdiom every day afforded lessons of comparative ana¬ 
tomy ; to whom every day displayed fresh proofs of the subtle, 
unsuspected, but controlling influence on function, occasioned 
by the minutest differences in structure; and whom, and most 
important of all, long habit had taught to bring this to bear on 
the mysteries of pathology ; it was he alone who was competent to, 
and who would execute the task. Therefore,” he concluded, 
‘‘you, gentlemen of the medical profession, who, or whose proge¬ 
nitors gave us, as it were, our being, and nurtured us up to our 
present state, do not despise us, do not trample upon us ;—the 
time may come when we shall be able to repay our obligation to 
you, and even render you our debtors.” 
The chairman then proposed the healths of the other officers 
of the College, the demonstrators, Mr. Vines and Mr. Morton. 
Mr. Vines was happy to hear himself at length recognized by 
Sir Astley Cooper, as demonstrator at the Veterinary College. 
For his own part, he had often wondered what he was there, and 
what title belonged to him; he had sometimes thought that he 
was mere cab-boy there. He was glad that he was now recog¬ 
nized as demonstrator, and he would endeavour, to the utmost 
of his ability, to discharge the duties of his office. 
Mr. Morton said that he had no claim to the title of demon¬ 
strator. Beside his superintendence of the general accounts, 
records of the institution, and the pharmaceutical operations of 
the dispensary, he had no other claim than that of private lec¬ 
turer on the principles of chemistry and materia medica. He 
had observed with regret, that here the education of the veteri¬ 
nary student had been most neglected ; and although he would 
never lend his aid to those who had aimed at the destruction of 
the institution, he had presumed thus far to assist in its reno¬ 
vation. It gave him the greatest pleasure to find, that, to a 
considerable extent, he had succeeded ; that his humble lectures 
had been attended by the greater and the most respectable part 
of the students, and that they had acknowledged themselves to 
be satisfied and improved. 
Sir Astley apologized for confounding the offices of these gen¬ 
tlemen, and confessed that he admired, exceedingly admired, 
the sentiments expressed by Mr. Morton. If there was any 
branch of science which more than another concerned the vete¬ 
rinary student, it was chemistry; and particularly that division 
of it which concerned the soil, and its improvement, and its 
