656 
THE CONTEMPLATED CHANGES. 
wish that you would come, and tell me what is to be done.’’ 
Poor fellow! What shall he do ? Shall he boldly face the 
danger? He will at once be detected as a mere pretender; and 
if he is found a pretender in the treatment of cattle, his know¬ 
ledge of the horse will be more than doubted. He will derive no 
more assistance than is absolutely necessary from the servants. 
They view him as an intruder on the rights of the old farrier. 
The master, the servants, perhaps the farrier snug in some corner, 
are looking on. Shall he candidly confess his ignorance ? The 
farmer may appreciate his candour, but he will think slightingly 
of him and the school whence he comes. ^ Give me the old 
farrier,’ will pass in his mind, if he does not plainly speak it 
out. The horses will, in all probability, soon follow the cattle; 
and the veterinary surgeon will be consigned to derision and con¬ 
tempt. Is it not cruel to place a young man of principle and of 
feeling in a situation so painful and degrading ?” 
From practitioners thus situated I have received many letters 
containing statements like this, and that would make any man^s 
heart bleed. But no, said Mr. Coleman—and almost in so many 
words—in the introductory lecture of the 19th ult.—the pupil is not 
sent away thus unarmed. He has been taught the laws of health 
and disease. He has been trained to the observation of symp¬ 
toms—he can connect certain symptoms with the presence of cer¬ 
tain diseases—he can draw a tolerably satisfactory conclusion— 
he knows the usual medicines of cattle, and he can pretty well 
guess what should be done : or, if he should err in the first case 
that comes before him, he will know better another time. 
I will not ask how far this is consistent with the tirade against 
comparative pathology, and the impossibility of drawing any 
satisfactory conclusion from it. I will not ask how far it is con¬ 
sistent with common honesty ; but I will pass on to a pleasanter 
subject. 
When [Speaking of the extension of the knowledge of the 
pupil, and thejntroduction of demonstrations of the anatomical 
structure of domesticated animals, he stated that ‘‘ it was possible 
that buildings might be erected within the College walls for this 
purpose, and that he ^would contribute to the best of his power 
to follow out the plan suggested by the English Agricultural 
