656 
A CASE OF PROFESSIONAL IGNORANCE. 
By a Looker-on. 
I AM induced by an ardent love for the veterinaiy profession 
and anxiety for its welfare to send you the following case: 
one amongst the many which tend to convince us of the pro¬ 
found ignorance of those pretenders we daily meet with in country 
towns, who, without professional, or, indeed, any other educa¬ 
tion than a blacksmith’s shop affords, designate themselves ve¬ 
terinary surgeons, alias farriers :— 
Mr. B., a respectable farmer in Shropshire, had a valuable 
waggon horse, for which he refused ^40, lame in one of his 
hind legs, and which, from improper treatment, became so crooked 
that the animal could not put his heel to the ground. This 
crippled state rendered him utterly useless, and he w^as ordered 
to betaken to the kennel. While, how’ever, he was on the road 
to his last destination, he w'as overtaken by a gentleman, who 
questioned the servant leading him respecting the nature of the 
lameness, and desired him, as he passed through Salop, to call and 
shew' the horse to Mr. Hickman, and some other veterinary prac¬ 
titioner in that towm. Mr. Hickman w'as from home, and the 
other gentleman declined having any thing to do with him, 
being of opinion, from the cursory examination w'hich he could 
then make, that no application or treatment could bo useful. 
The man again started to deliver up the poor animal to the hounds; 
but, as he was passing along Raven Street, Mr. H. Crowe, V.S., 
happened to meet him, who, after examining the leg, and in¬ 
quiring what scientific vet. had been attending him, bought the 
horse for a sovereign. In a few days afterw'ards he divided the 
tw'o flexor tendons in the w'ay described by Professor Dick, of 
Edinburgh ; and succeeded in bringing the leg perfectly straight. 
The horse immediately put his heel to the ground ; in three 
weeks he w’as quite upright; and, in a very short time, will be as 
efficient as ever. Mr. Crow'e has refused twenty sovereigns 
for his bargain. 
I must now tell you, gentlemen, this horse was attended fifteen 
months by a farrier in Shrewsbury, wdio has the presumption to 
assume the name of veterinary surgeon. It must be evident 
to every one, that this man must either have been incapable 
of performing the above operation, or is totally ignorant of its 
result; otherwise he w’ould not have suffered an old patient to 
have passed his door a complete cripple, and to return in a Tew 
