581 
MEMORIAL OF THE FRENCH VETERINARY SURGEONS, 
BELONGING TO THE TROOPS ASSEMBLED AT THE CAMP A1’ 
COMPIEGNE, TO THE DUKE OF ORl.EANS, IN THE AUTUMN 
OF 1836. 
As a matter of veterinary military history, as presenting to the 
English veterinarian a correct account of the situation of his 
French brethren, and as a document with almost every word 
of which we cordially coincide, we present our readers with 
the followino; memorial:— 
. Monseigneur,— The veterinary surgeons of the corps forming 
a part of the camp at Compiegne approach you with confidence, 
to solicit your kind consideration of their present military'posi¬ 
tion, which, in their opinion, is far from being in harmony with 
the services required of them, and the importance of the materiel 
confided to their care. 
Amidst the ameliorations of every kind which have, for a long 
time, succeeded to each other in the various divisions of the 
French army, from the progress of military and general science, 
the veterinary department is the only one which remains in its 
primitive position ; and notwithstanding the veterinarian, like 
his companions, is a soldier, and in common with them exposed 
to all the chances of war, he alone is without any prospect of 
adequate advancement. 
Without here enumerating all the important functions which 
they have to discharge, let it suffice to mention that, in conse¬ 
quence of the inferiority of their rank, they are forced to silence, 
or at least to a kind of di'plomacy^ in order that the slightest 
thing which they may counsel for the benefit of the horses may 
be adopted ; and too happy do they think themselves if their ad¬ 
vice does not rouse the jealousy of the officers, and, sometimes, 
even of the sub-officers, who have the superintendence of that 
in the management of which the veterinary surgeon alone ought 
to have a voice. A position thus false must, to a very material 
extent, be destructive of the health and condition of the horse, 
and thus of the cavalry service; at the same time that in the 
veterinarian it must, to a certain degree, destroy the love of his 
art, and extinguish all emulation : for, sure of never being more 
than a sub-officer, the veterinarian longs for the termination of 
that military career in which his inclination or his folly had in¬ 
volved him, and in which he can never, without profound regret, 
resign himself to a stationary and negative position in the 
army. 
VOL. XI. 4 II 
