220 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
wherein the will of operator masters the experiment, instead of allowing the 
experiment to master his will.” 
To which we might add the following passage with which that report 
concludes: 
“Butin the same degree that we feel bound to approve the practice of 
vivisection when pursued for the exclusive advancement of science, that is to 
say, with an object limited beforehand, whose just pursuit is sufficiently 
established by the usefulness of the research ; so are we compelled to declare 
ourselves averse to the unrestrained practice of torturing, sometimes gratui¬ 
tously inflicted upon poor dumb brutes by inexperienced hands, who torture 
without any fixed purpose. These tortures have never been turned to any 
other account than by provoking unexpected manifestations, which serve to 
build up artificial theories, only made to be overthrown by the experiments of 
wise and judicious practitioners.” 
When such a decided disapprobation of the abuses of vivisection has been 
thus expressed in that report, this Committee, while it does not admit the 
necessity of this practice on the alleged grounds of “ its utility to mankind ,” 
in the face of evidence proving the contrary to be the fact, cannot but anti¬ 
cipate the co-operation of the framers of that report in an endeavour to 
obtain legal powers for the interdiction of the useless tortures they have thus 
adverted to, and which are so repulsive to all feelings of Humanity, Chris¬ 
tianity, and Civilisation. 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 
The Annual Refort from the Governors of the 
Royal Veterinary College. 
The Governors of the Royal Veterinary College, in ac¬ 
cordance with annual custom, have again the satisfaction of 
presenting their report relative to the state of veterinary 
medicine, and the means which are at their disposal to 
further its application to the wants of the agricultural com¬ 
munity. During the past year, the lectures on the diseases 
of cattle, sheep, and pigs, have been uninterruptedly de¬ 
livered, and the daily attendance of the pupils has been fully 
equal to that of any former year. Examinations to test the 
proficiency of pupils have been from time to time instituted, 
and from the reports which have been furnished to the 
Governors by the professors, they believe that the progress 
of the pupils, in the several departments of their studies, 
has been very satisfactory. To second the labours of the 
professors, and to stimulate the pupils in the acquirement of 
knowledge, the Governors, early in the year, arranged for 
the application of certain funds, placed at their disposal by 
the late Professor Coleman, to the aw arding of medals of silver 
and bronze, and a certificate of merit, as honorary distinc- 
