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EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
number was only 3000. A similar state of things would prevail 
in England unless active measures were taken to prevent it. 
Young veterinary surgeons going into the country found the 
greatest difficulty in establishing a practice. He thought that 
a little pressure from without might induce the Council to 
use its utmost exertions in the coming year. Their finances 
were in a satisfactory condition, and the funds could not be 
better spent than in obtaining an act, if it was only one of 
registration. 
Mr. Gamgee said he claimed credit for a certain degree of 
activity in bringing the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons 
before the public, and they needed nothing more than that 
the world should be alive to the true nature of their institu¬ 
tion. The position which the veterinary profession held as a 
body in this country was certainly unique. They were a 
single and a strong body, and thus unlike any other profes¬ 
sion. He had insisted in the north very strongly that the 
Highland Society had no authority to grant certificates to 
persons as veterinary surgeons; so much so, that a leading 
agricultural paper had recently declared that that society 
could grant no diploma, and that Government ought to be 
memorialised to obtain another charter. That was a very 
dangerous position. He knew well the strength of the Scotch 
society, for he had often battled with the directors. The mem¬ 
bers at large, however, had rallied round him, and agreed 
?n Inhere should be perfect freedom in veterinary education. 
So strong was the society, that but for the general vote of 
the members he believed the new veterinary college would 
have been swamped. Since the college was legally author¬ 
ised, they had striven by every means in their power to get 
the profession recognised, and they could only get strength 
by combining together. If they were weakened by di¬ 
vision and secession, they would be trampled under foot, 
not only by empiricism, but by that adverse combined 
action which had occurred in Scotland. He had been 
informed by high legal authority that they needed no 
Act of Parliament to accomplish their object. There was 
a body of solicitors in the north who possessed a charter 
like their own, and they appointed officers to find out all 
persons styling themselves 44 solicitors ” who had no right 
to the title. In this way the practice was effectually checked. 
It was true there was no penalty attached to the false assump¬ 
tion of the title of veterinary surgeon, but proceedings might 
easily be taken against offenders which would in many cases 
deter them. They must never expect thoroughly to overcome 
empiricism, and destroy the influence of some ignorant men 
