032 
INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
persons, and the profession is disgraced. What, I would 
ask, must be the fate of such mistaken men? Nothing, I 
conceive, but degradation and remorse. 
Fortunately, however, a very large majority act otherwise : 
with them the period of their pupilage was a pleasure and their 
examinations highly creditable. That portion of their life 
devoted to the practice of their profession was honorable, so 
that they were enabled to retire early into private life, re¬ 
spected by all who know* them. 
I need not suggest to you which of the two courses you 
should take; I feel sure that all of you have resolved to 
pursue the latter; if so, keep steadily to that resolution as a 
sacred duty, and your success will be almost certain. 
The remarks I have already made are intended as in¬ 
centives to study, and also as inducements to follow a proper 
course, both during your pupilage and in after life, neglect¬ 
ing no opportunity in acquiring all the inforrna-tion possible 
within your reach. 
A student in medicine, whether human or comparative, 
should, in a certain sense, be like an artist who delights in 
the work of his creation. He heeds not pecuniary remune¬ 
ration, but paints on because he is fond of the art. As an 
artist, he is ambitious to excel, and pleased to find that he 
is talked about in societv bv men of taste, and often rests con- 
tented, therefore, if the production of his genius enables him 
to support himself and his family. 
The real object of our profession is the preservation of the 
health of our horses, flocks, and herds; and when they are 
invaded bv disease to bring to bear as much skill and attention 
as we possibly can with a view to remove it. Remember that, 
in all our operations, or any other treatment we may have 
occasion to resort to, we are bound to be as humane as 
possible, and not to put any creature under our care to un¬ 
necessary pain; nor should we allow, in our presence or to 
our knowledge, any animal to be misused or ill-treated: in 
this respect, we may, with much consistency, consider our¬ 
selves the guardians of domestic animals. 
But we must take care not to abuse this trust. Let all our 
acts correspond with what we profess; let us in no way sanc¬ 
tion wanton acts of cruelty; let us, as men of science point 
out, whenever an opportunity offers, the folly and also the loss 
sustained by injudicious proceedings in reference to racing 
and other sports. Let us consider the great loss and un¬ 
necessary pain there is produced by training and running 
horses at an age long before they arrive at maturity, being, 
perhaps, not more than one and a half year old. It is well 
