EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
163 
ceiving a commissiou. When he has attained this object, 
he begins his expensive nomadic career on a pittance barely 
sufficient to maintain him in a respectable position in his 
regiment, and has to serve for a long period before receiving 
a very trifling addition to his pay. His promotion to a higher 
grade will seldom be obtained under twelve years, for, though 
eligible at five years, if well conducted, no instance has yet 
occurred in which a veterinary surgeon has been promoted at 
so early a period; twelve years have been about the term 
lately, and this will be greatly increased in the future, if only 
a limited number are to enjoy the advantages of first 
class. When this degree of promotion has been obtained, 
there is nothing more to be looked or hoped for. In Eng¬ 
land, there are only five appointments held by officers above 
the first grade of promotion, and for all practical purposes 
it may be said they are life appointments; since it is ex¬ 
tremely improbable that a veterinary surgeon, who, through 
seniority obtains one, will be likely to relinquish it, unless 
compelled to do so when he has attained a certain age. 
It may with truth be said, that no veterinary surgeon 
under thirteen or fourteen years’ service has the slightest 
prospect of rising higher than the rank of first class. This 
is indeed a miserable and most disheartening prospect. 
There is so little increase of pay, that after twenty-five 
years of the most varied service, risks, and exposure, the 
climate-worn veterinary surgeon only receives 17^. Qd. 
a day; and if at this time he claims retirement, he is 
allowed two thirds of that sum, on which he may contrive 
to eke out existence as a poor gentleman in some obscure 
village. 
This aimless kind of career must be extremely injurious 
to the welfare of the service. No sooner does a pro¬ 
mising graduate enter the army than the upas-tree shade 
of non-recognition by the authorities begins to throw its 
torpid influence over him. His regimental duties may 
be gone through with scrupulous regularity; the hum¬ 
drum routine of a kind of professional existence may be 
enacted; but have we any evidence that the career which 
promised so well for the graduate has any attractions for 
