468 VETERINARY BENEVOLENT AND DEFENCE SOCIETY. 
Society, and we thought it would be advantageous to offer you an 
explanation of our working, and in doing so we hope we shall be 
able to gather additional power and strength, and have the benefit 
of your great experience, influence, and aid. 
This Society may be said to be the offspring of the Liverpool, 
Lancashire, and Yorkshire Veterinary Medical Associations, and if it 
ever should occupy that high position which we are so ambitious to 
achieve, the honour will be awarded to my esteemed friend Mr. 
'fhomas Greaves, of Manchester, who, by his energy and perse¬ 
verance, has been the means of establishing several veterinary 
medical associations throughout the land. The National Veterinary 
Benevolent and Mutual Defence Society is primarily indebted for 
its existence to the late Mr. Friend, of Liverpool : let the honour be 
awarded to him, “who well deserves it.” The late Mr. Friend, in 
a paper on “The Kesponsibility of Veterinary Surgeons,” read by 
him at the Liverpool Veterinary Medical Association in the year 
1865, suggested that we should form a Mutual Defence Society. 
Consequent upon this suggestion of Mr. Friend, a deputation from 
the Liverpool, Yorkshire, and Lancashire Veterinary Medical So¬ 
cieties met together to take into consideration the advisabilitv of 
O _ v 
forming such a Society. This meeting took place on September 
6th, 1865, at the Queen’s Hotel, Manchester, and was presided 
over by your humble servant; and I am pleased to say that some 
of our most eminent and practical veterinary surgeons attended. 
After mature thought and deliberation, the meeting resolved that it 
was desirable to form a National Veterinary Defence Society; and, 
gentlemen, allow me to clear up any misconception which may have 
arisen. This Societv w'as not formed to defend all cases which 
might be submitted to its consideration ; that, I assure you, never 
was, and I firmly believe never will be, the object of its originators 
and promoters. Our motto is “ Defence, not defiance.” Gentle¬ 
men, our object is rather to avoid litigation, to arrange any dispute 
between professional men and their clients without having recourse 
to law. On the other hand, in the case of an unjust action we 
should employ all legitimate means of defence, and endeavour to pre¬ 
serve the professional reputation of a w^ell-deserving professional 
brother. Gentlemen, although we accept the decisions of our law 
courts, and believe in the honesty, wisdom, and integrity of our 
learned judges, yet we also believe that most professional cases are 
of a peculiar character, and can only be properly investigated by a 
competent body of professional men. 1 say that it is mv firm con¬ 
viction that all professional cases can be more justly dealt with, and 
more equitably adjusted, by these means than by an ordinary legal 
tribunal; both parties would be satisfied with our decision. Sup¬ 
posing, however, that an amicable arrangement cannot be effected, 
the Society would undertake the conduct of the case in a court of 
justice. If we should be defeated we should submit to the verdict, 
and in place of seeing a member injured, or perchance ruined, we 
should defray the costs of the action. 
Our Society consists of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, 
