246 
TESTIMONIAL TO ASSIST.-PROFESSOR VARNELL. 
But this knowledge is only to be obtained by diligent and 
continuous labour. He who wishes to acquire it, must for 
himself unravel the wonderful and complex arrangement of 
the tissues entering into the formation of the various organs 
of the animal body, for there is no royal road to its acquisi¬ 
tion. You, like your predecessors, must go into the dissect¬ 
ing room, and there verify for yourselves the statements you 
hear from me in this theatre. 
Remember that all extrinsic help will be but of little use 
to you, unless you determine to help yourselves ; and that 
all the efforts of your teachers must prove unavailing unless 
you second their endeavours by a well-directed determination 
to learn for yourselves, and to make the information commu¬ 
nicated to you thoroughly your own. 
Knowledge so acquired will be your best defence against 
the attempts of evil-minded and unprincipled men; not so 
much in the profession to which you aspire to belong, as 
among the quacks who would fain make the world believe 
that they are a part of it; who will resort to the most dis¬ 
reputable means in order to carry out their empirical prac¬ 
tices, and will not hesitate to endeavour to injure your 
reputation, so that they may thus increase their own. 
Especially when first entering upon your professional 
career, you will often be annoyed by attempts of this 
kind ; notwithstanding, let your course be always straightfor¬ 
ward. Stoop to no unworthy or even doubtful means of 
advancing your interests; manfully support the dignity of 
the profession you have chosen, and always take care to 
attend, with equal solicitude and assiduity, the animals of the 
poor and the rich. By thus acting, you will gain the appro¬ 
bation of the latter and the gratitude of the former, and in 
the end find that by thus obtaining the respect and 
esteem of all rightly-thinking minds, your own interests 
have been better promoted than they could have been by 
those courses from which I have just endeavoured to dis¬ 
suade you. 
Many of you who are now present will in a short time 
present yourselves before the court of examiners, and I need 
scarcely say that I most sincerely wish you success in passing 
through that ordeal. 
If any of you feel that you are not prepared for the test 
to which you are about to be submitted, remember that there 
is } T et some time left, and that by steady exertion, even in a 
few weeks much may be accomplished. 
Your teachers are by no means unconcerned spectators of 
your efforts. Your success, both here and in after life, is 
