204 
W. H. DALRYMPLE. 
which in some sections of the Union and in other countries is 
recognized as on a level with other professions, and a most 
important branch of medical science. 
We have had an opportunity of observing a condition of 
things with regard to the standing of the profession in some of 
our large Southern cities, which we .are forced to believe is 
brought about very largely by what we have alluded to, viz: 
our business relations and associations. In one large com¬ 
mercial center, where there are several graduates, and as many 
non-graduates, the latter are just as much thought of pro¬ 
fessionally (?) in the community as the former, or in other words, 
the graduates do not seem to have impressed the fact upon the 
general public that they are the exponents of a noble science 
and art, achieved by education and study, equal to, and in 
many instances greater, than that required by a large number 
of the medical colleges of the country, and are consequently 
superior to the empiric, and more worthy the patronage of and 
social recognition by an enlightened community, but such 
appears to be the case, nor will it be changed, we are afraid, so 
long as the one is content to remain on the same level with the 
other. Under such circumstances, patrons and the general 
public cannot be blamed, for it is a fact, that the majority of 
the people are not aware that there is a particle of difference, 
as to ability, between the professional man and the jack-leg. 
When anything goes wrong, which the ignorant coachman 
(colored usually) cannot chance to right, a livery stable is con¬ 
nected by telephone, and a horse-doctor requested to be sent. 
Even should he be a graduate, he rarely seeks, and more rarely 
is given, an audience with the owner, on the subject of the 
ailment of his animal, being or having to be content to transact 
his professional business with the coachman or hostler. 
It is a fact, of course, that the profession is sparsely repre¬ 
sented in the greater part of the South, and no legal protection 
given to graduates, but, for that reason alone, if for no other, 
we think qualified practitioners ought the more to assert them¬ 
selves, and while doing all they can to legitimately fill their 
