EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
33 
him in his journey, as well as forward to the portion which 
still lies before him; for, although it is wisely denied to 
man to look far into the future, nevertheless a favourable 
retrospect does much to stimulate to increased energy, and 
to awaken those feelings that ennoble man. 
The memory of past events,^^ says a modern writer, 
as on the rapid wings of time we are ever borne farther 
and farther from them towards the ocean of eternity, grows 
dim behind us. Of early life how large a portion seems 
(perhaps only seems) consigned to absolute oblivion. Yet 
here and there, along the line of retrospective glance, 
there are points and prominences which seem as they could 
never die; occurrences which are, as it were, burnt in on 
the memory, and which the haziness of proximate scenes 
and incidents serves only to place in bolder relief: just as 
an increase of distance often makes more conspicuous the 
mountain peaks, which the proximity of a multitude of 
minor objects concealed or obscured.^^ 
It has hitherto been our good fortune, when analysing 
the proceedings of the preceding year, to be able to speak 
in jubilant terms of what has been done, and that no 
apprehensions existed as to the future. Again we are 
happy in being able to say that the past year forms no 
exception, and on turning over the pages of its volume, we 
think it is not lacking in subjects of interest and importance 
to the profession. We are not ignorant of the fact that 
we owe much, if not most, of this to our contributors; nor 
w’ould we be either slow or ungrateful in acknowledging this, 
while at the same time we ask for its continuance, because 
the advantages are mutual. 
The translations by Mr. Ernes have kept us au courant 
with what is doing by our professional brethren on the 
Continent; and Mr. Watson^s papers on Botany, as applied 
to Veterinary medicine, have lost none of their interest. 
Indebted as we long and often have been to Professor 
Varnell, it has been considerably enhanced by his volun¬ 
tarily offering to elucidate the changes that may have taken 
place in the morbid points that are sent to us from time to 
time, and which are alwavs more or less instructive. With 
him we would urge upon the members of the profession to 
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