640 ORIGIN OF VETERINARY SCIENCE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 
in a proper manner, and afterwards subjecting themselves to 
a regular examination before the medical committee. Some 
instances are known where such persons as those just men¬ 
tioned, have availed themselves of attending two or three 
lectures only, and then, without any practice in dissecting , or the 
least knowledge of anatomy , have launched out into practice, 
and for want of a proper knowledge of the ground-work of 
this science, committed gross blunders, to the injury of the 
public , and the disrepute of the real veterinary surgeon , who has 
carefully studied the principles of his profession. Again, there 
are persons who are in the habit of compiling works on vete¬ 
rinary subjects for booksellers, and who style themselves 
veterinary surgeons , but who have just as much—and no more 
—pretension to the designation than a bookseller has to being 
called a physician; and we mention this the more particularly, 
because we have been informed by some highly respectable 
booksellers, that there is a certain individual in that trade 
who has attempted to write several veterinary works, and sent 
them forth to the world as those of a veterinary surgeon. It 
has already been observed, by Veterinary Surgeon Percivall, 
when speaking on the disadvantages attendant on the intro¬ 
duction of veterinary science, that, in a great measure, it is 
dependent on “ the vile trash diffused in treatises of farriery , 
so truly disgusting to a man of common reflection, that he 
forms his opinion of the art by those he entertains of the 
book, and considers it specially adapted to the genius of his 
groom or coachman , fyc.” 
I have endeavoured to show the manner in which the 
public are furnished with these sorts of works, and agree with 
Mr. Percivall, that it is not only injurious to the public, but 
likewise a considerable disadvantage to the introduction of our 
science. I also agree with Mr. Percivall as to the impropriety 
of gentlemen permitting their coachmen and grooms to have 
the medical treatment of their horses when suffering from 
disease, because we are fully aware, and have likewise endea¬ 
voured to show, that,'without a proper knowledge of anatomy 
and physiology , no one will be ever able to practise the veteri¬ 
nary profession with benefit to his employers and credit to 
himself. The late Strickland Freeman, Esq., when speaking 
of the impropriety of intrusting uneducated men with the 
treatment of horses when under disease, very properly ob¬ 
serves— “ In farriery, practice is often attempted where 
theory is totally unknown: whenever this happens, that 
branch of business may be considered in the same state of 
perfection that surgery had attained when barbers were the 
general practitioners. At that time, considerable practice 
