LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, 233 
with shoeing horses. Upon this point Mr. William Mavor once told 
me a remarkable instance, which, trivial as it was, made him, I 
believe, at first think of giving up the forge. Indeed, he said then, 
and that is eight years ago, that should certainly close his forges as 
soon as possible; and I am proud to see he has executed his deter¬ 
mination. The instance above alluded to was the following;—A 
friend of Mr. Mavor’s was once speaking to a young lady, and in 
the conversation spoke frequently of him ; and at last the said 
young lady inquired who this Mr. Mavor was. She was told that 
she must know him, as her papa was a friend of his, &c. How¬ 
ever, she could not recollect the name at all; so the gentleman said, 
‘‘ You really must know him ; he is the eminent veterinary surgeon 
in Park Lane.”—“ Oh ! that Mr, Mavor. He shoes papa’s horses !” 
—“No,” the gentleman said, “he is not a shoeing smith, but a 
veterinary surgeon and a gentleman.” Now, it is evident, as Mr. 
Mavor said, that the said young lady could not reconcile shoeing 
papa’s horses with the character of a gentleman. There is no doubt 
at all in my mind the sooner we all follow Messrs. Mavor’s example 
the better. It will, indeed, be a proud and happy day for me, should 
I live to see it, when every forge attached to veterinary establish¬ 
ments is closed, and the veterinary surgeon rises to his proper posi¬ 
tion in the social scale. 
While in the vicinity of the forge I may just allude to the fact 
that there are now two new principles of shoeing before the public ; 
but 1 am sorry I am not in a position to really give an opinion upon 
them. 
As far as I understand, I think the French system will take well 
in the hunting-field; but I must say I should doubt it on our high 
roads. The American plan I don’t think much of, as far as I can 
judge; but, as 1 said at the commencement, I am really not in a 
position to give you either a thorough description of the methods, 
nor to express a strong opinion either way. I only thought it was 
incumbent upon me just to allude to this matter. 
Having so far touched upon what I consider the great questions 
of the day, I must now pass on to notice briefly what we have 
already done towards the advancement and good bf our profession. 
First of all comes the Veterinary Medical Associations, which I think 
now have become fixed institutions, and which everyone will admit 
have not only benefited the various individuals connected with 
them, but also the whole body of our profession ; and I am proud 
they are spreading far and wide ; and it must be very gratifying 
to our friend Mr. T. Greaves, who is the father of them, to see them 
flourishing as they are, in spite of all the cold water thrown on them 
at the outset. There is no doubt we owe him a great debt of grati¬ 
tude, not only as the founder of these associations, but also for his 
indefatigable exertions in keeping them together. Look at the good 
our association has done in Manchester. Where are all those petty 
jealousies and cold shoulderings gone to which were so common 
amongst us ? Vanished, I am proud to say, or as nearly as possible ; 
and through what ? The Lancashire Veterinary Medical Association, 
