312 
HUMANITY TO ANIMALS. 
regarded the horse not indeed capable of much individual 
attachment, but the willing servant of man—obedient to the 
slightest intimation of his pleasure—exerting every energy in 
the accomplishment of his wishes, and often dying in the 
attempt to serve. He regarded the dog, 
** Man’s faithful companion and friend; 
The last to desert, and the first to defend.” 
Could he ever wilfully add to the sufferings of such beings ? 
or would he not rejoice in protecting them from injury ? A vete¬ 
rinary surgeon could scarcely be a cruel man, or, at least, he wouM 
be a sadly inconsistent being if he were so. Opposite and incom¬ 
patible principles could not actuate the same man ; therefore he 
claimed some fellowship for himself and his brethren with the 
members of such a society as that the anniversary of which they 
were commemorating. 
Here are four of us,’' said he, uncommissioned by our bre¬ 
thren, yet venturing in their names and in our own, to tender our 
feeble aid in the accomplishment of your noble and god-like pur¬ 
pose. We may occasionally be able to throw some light on the 
nature and degree, possibly the remedy, of certain acts of cruelty. 
We may assist in enabling you more successfully to trace out 
the causes, the bearings, the ramifications of certain nuisances 
that you may wish to abate. We may strengthen your cause 
by our professional counsel or support. In many a way that 
cannot be here specified, we may efficiently unite with you in 
your labours of mercy. We come here uncommissioned—we fol¬ 
lowed the dictates of our own feelings; but we know sufficiently of 
the sentiments of our brethren unhesitatingly to say to you, that, 
in this metropolis, and in every part of the kingdom, from John 
o’Groats to the Land’s End, we shall be proud to answer your 
call, whenever you think we can be serviceable to you.” 
Said he too much, brother veterinarians ? No ! There is not 
a man among you that will not eagerly redeem his pledge. 
We acknowledge the letter of Studens. We had before heard 
©f the abominations which it describes. We have a complete 
