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THE VETERINARIAN, JUNE 1, 1859. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat. 
Cicero. 
THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OE THE ROYAL 
COLLEGE OE VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
The event of the past month chiefly interesting to our 
readers has been the annual meeting of the profession, which 
was held, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter, 
on May 4th. Compared with similar gatherings in pre¬ 
ceding years, a greater number of members were present, 
but this augmentation was rather produced by the attend¬ 
ance of those who had recently obtained their diplomas than 
by established practitioners. A goodly sprinkling of mem¬ 
bers from the country were, nevertheless, present: but we 
missed the faces of many, both from tovm and country , that 
we have been accustomed to see. Let the Council flatter 
itself as it may, there is no gainsaying the fact that, as a 
body, the profession is singularly lukewarm in the proceed¬ 
ings of its executive, and cares but little for the working out 
of the Charter. We trace the whole of this to the bickerings 
that are constantly occurring, and to the few and feeble 
efforts that have been made, from the time the profession 
became an incorporated body to bring about a more healthy 
state of things. Often have we deemed it our duty, as the 
exponents of the wants and wishes of the profession, to pro¬ 
test against the course taken by the Council, and seldom has 
there been a greater necessity for this being done than at 
the present time. It has always appeared to us that the 
first duty of a governing body, elected by the suffrages of the 
members, was so to legislate that not only dissensions might 
be avoided, but unity effected. Freedom of thought and 
independency of action are essential for such a purpose, and 
these we have ever been found ready to support. It is the 
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