EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 341 
On the motion of Mr. Mavor seconded by Mr. Cox the 
report was received. 
Mr. Hebnore then moved, and Mr. Broad seconded, the 
adoption of the report. 
Mr. Ernes said, the report stated that everything daring 
the past year had passed off satisfactorily. The question, 
however, was, had they made any progress towards obtaining 
the object for which the charter was granted ? The charter 
was obtained to secure certain exemptions to the members of 
the profession. The present was the seventeenth meeting, 
but he could not see that they were any nearer the attain¬ 
ment of their object than when they first assembled. Great 
expectations were then entertained by the members of the 
Council, but unfortunate secessions and dissensions had since 
taken place, which had prevented the adoption of vigorous and 
united measures. It was high time to turn their attention to 
the obtaining of some laws to protect the profession from 
empiricism. A committee was formed in 1840, which existed 
for four years. Its purpose was to get an Act of Parliament, 
but it was found that there was no incorporated body to 
whom such an act could be granted, and it was accordingly 
resolved to apply for a charter of incorporation. When that 
charter was obtained it ought to have been followed up by an 
Act of Parliament, but that object was not carried out. The 
medical profession had recently obtained powers by which 
they were sufficiently protected, and he thought tft i , r 
profession might obtain similar privileges. The very exi 
ence of the profession was at stake. They could never expect 
to make any progress until they checked empiricism, from 
which both town and country practitioners were suffering. 
In order to raise the profession, it was necessary to give it 
such a standing that men would be willing to spend their 
time and money for the purpose of securing an avenir that 
would repay them for their exertions. They were bound to 
protect, not only the profession, but the agricultural interest. 
Agriculturists could not distinguish between qualified and 
unqualified practitioners; they often went to the first man 
who called himself a veterinary surgeon or a cow-doctor, and 
the result was that their property was sacrificed, and the 
regularly qualified practitioner was injured. In many conti¬ 
nental countries protective laws had been obtained. The 
French were endeavouring to get the same privileges. M. 
Leblanc, who was at the head of the movement, stated that, 
such had been the injurious effects of empiricism, that the 
profession had almost come to a stand-still. In 1813 it 
numbered from 1200 to 1500 members, and in 18f)l the 
xxxiv. 26 
