667 
THE VETERINARIAN, NOVEMBER 1, 1860. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat. —Cicero. 
OPENING OE THE SESSION OE THE ROYAL VETERINARY 
COLLEGE.—VIVISECTIONS. 
Once more we are called upon to chronicle the opening 
of the scholastic session at the Royal Veterinary College, 
an event which interests to a greater or less extent the 
majority of the members of our profession. The inaugural 
address was delivered by Professor Spooner, and probably 
to the largest audience which had ever assembled within the 
College walls. Indeed, these annual gatherings have in¬ 
creased so much of late years, that we cannot help con¬ 
trasting them with those of by-gone days, when, beyond a 
few of the leading veterinary surgeons of the metropolis, 
and the pupils—new and old—with some of their friends, 
scarcely any other persons were present. Now, indeed, besides 
those who were wont to attend, we see many members of 
the sister science and other learned professions, agri¬ 
culturists and others who are more immediately interested in 
the day’s proceedings. Did we require evidence of the 
higher appreciation of our profession by the public in 
general, we have it here; and while this must be exceedingly 
gratifying to the authorities of the College, we see in it an 
assurance of a still greater success attending their efforts to 
advance the science of veterinary medicine. The connection 
which happily has existed for several years between the 
College, the Royal Agricultural, and other kindred societies, 
has tended in no small degree to the bringing about this 
desideratum. It has shown to the great mass of the people, 
and especially to the farmers and horse-owning public, that 
the treatment of the diseases of the lower animals requires to 
be founded on the same scientific basis as that which sup¬ 
ports other branches of medical knowledge. The charlatan 
and man of mere routine, who would treat animals, when suf- 
