THE ARMY VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. 
393 
on the changed character of the school; but they were powerless— 
they had .no vote ; the director was misled, and the pupils were 
dazzled and misled, and veterinary science was sinking*, and 
the school was suddenly found to be £10,000 in debt. Creditors 
were clamorous; government was alarmed; and the director was 
at his w its 1 end. The folly of the system which had been pur¬ 
sued was now apparent, and it was seriously discussed whether 
the veterinary school should not be suppressed. 
Veterinary science, however, found some ardent friends. A 
stop was put to all this w ild extravagance, and the director w as 
compelled, in a great measure, to return to the original design of 
the institution. The pursuit of natural history was not abandoned, 
but it was no longer suffered to oppress and strangle veterinary 
science. It was made a distinct national object. The foundation 
was laid for the noble Museum of Natural History at Paris ; and 
the director, being shorn of much of his pow T er (for he w as before 
a kind of despot in the institution, as he could select and could 
dismiss the professors at his pleasure), the veterinary school began 
to pursue a humbler but more useful course. Edit. 
[To be continued ] 
• i • • • 
TIIE ARMY VETERINARY DEPARTMENT. 
Retirement and Pension. 
In no station of life can a man be said to live altogether in con¬ 
tentment, unless his situation be such as to hold out prospects to 
him of a future provision, such as w ill enable him to maintain a sort 
of independence, at a time of life when he may feel himself either 
unable or indisposed to continue longer in his occupation. Per¬ 
sons in the mercantile world, and in trade, have in general such 
present means, as by good management and economy, furnish 
them with funds for future store : but those that serve in the em¬ 
ploy of government—in the army and navy especially—have 
seldom such incomes as will allow of much savings, and are 
consequently provided for, after certain lengths of servitude, 
by the government under w hom they have expended the strength 
and flow er of their days. There is, in course, a vast deal of dif¬ 
ference in the scales of retirements and pensions among dif¬ 
ferent descriptions and ranks of government officers: some 
seem to be rather over than under rewarded for their services ; 
while a still greater proportion are certainly compensated at too 
low a rate, among whom we regret to be forced to rank the 
army veterinarian. An army veterinary surgeon must serve 
twenty years, in order to have any claim; and then he becomes 
VOL. IV. *3 H 
