OBITUARY. 
89 
scourge in Belgium. For these services he was decorated with the 
Civic Order of Leopold. M. Defays was born on March 11, 1819, 
and after having been educated at the University of Liege, where it 
was intended he should graduate in medicine, he entered the Vete¬ 
rinary School at Cureghein in 1843, and passing an examination 
with the greatest distinction, he obtained his diploma in 18T7. He 
was son-in-law to the late Professor Verheyen. 
Professor Spooner. 
The painful duty of having to record the death of Professor 
Spooner came upon us so unexpectedly that in our last number we 
could do little more than announce the melancholy fact. His 
departure was like a deep dark-cloud rapidly overshadowing the 
zenith, not, however, to be as quickly dispersed, but to leave its 
gloomy shadows long lingering on the horizon. His body now rests 
in the tomb, but his name and memory will live while a history of 
veterinary medicine remains to be written. For many a year he 
occupied a post the most distinguished in the profession, and the 
highest which those in power have to bestow. He is now no more. 
Charles Spooner was the youngest son of the late Mr. Spooner, 
of Fordham, Essex. At the time of his birth his father occupied 
the Dairy Farm in Mistley Park, near Manningtree, whither he had 
removed from Yorkshire. He .was born Oct. 19, 180G, so that he 
had just entered on the sixty-sixth year of his age when death 
removed him from amongst us. On the completion of his scholastic 
education he was apprenticed to a chemist—the late Mr. George 
Jervis, of Westbar, Sheffield—a'nd shortly after completing his time, 
viz. in 1828, he elected to become a veterinary surgeon, and entered 
as a pupil at the Royal Veterinary College. During the following 
year he passed the examination test, then conducted by a board of 
examiners presided over by the late Sir Astley Cooper. While at 
college the writer of this obituary made his acquaintance, and a 
friendship was begun between them which lasted down to the day 
of his death—for the long period of forty-three years. Very shortly 
after obtaining his diploma Charles Spooner was appointed Vete¬ 
rinary Surgeon to the Zoological Society, mainly through the 
influence of the late Professor Sewell, who never ceased to feel a 
deep interest in his young friend’s welfare. This appointment gave 
him the opportunity of extending his anatomical and pathological 
knowledge ; and foreseeing that much more must be done for the 
pupils at the College, especially in practical anatomy, he took a 
house nearly opposite the institution and established a school of 
anatomy. This proved a success, and by far the larger number of 
the College pupils entered the classes at Charles Spooner’s. He 
did not, however, long hold the appointment to the Zoological 
Society, having been succeeded by the late Mr. Youatt. 
We now find him more earnestly engaged in the work of the pro¬ 
fession, and conjointly with his friend the late Professor Morton, 
giving lectures outside the college walls. Thus he worked on to the 
