735 
QUALIFIED AND UNQUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS. 
By J. Barker^ M.R.C.V.S., Scarborough. 
In last month’s number of your journal there appeared an 
article on ‘‘ Practical Veterinary Science,” by a Working 
Practitioner,” who, under that title, leaves us to guess 
whether he belongs to the body corporate, or is one of 
those unfortunate outsiders who, after serving an apprentice¬ 
ship to the profession and passing the requisite two sessions 
at college, have failed to pass that ordeal which constitutes 
the veterinary surgeon proper, though not in any way making 
the aspirant possess more knowledge than he did the hour or 
day before. But as I take it, all such learning and study is 
entered upon with a view of passing such a creditable exami¬ 
nation as shall be sufficient to entitle the student to his 
diploma and the title of veterinary surgeon, and that if there 
were not any honour or advantage in being such, few or 
none would take the trouble of a preparatory study of any 
kind, but be mere imitators of their compeers and prede¬ 
cessors, and the treatment of dumb animals be only worthy 
of the dark ages long since past. With shame be it 
said, ignorance, credulity, and superstition are still rife in 
many outlying districts even in England, and much more 
so in Scotland and Ireland, not from a deficiency of practi¬ 
tioners, indeed it would be much better if it were so for the 
welfare of our noble animals; on the other hand, there are 
plenty of these so-called “practical men ” who make capital 
out of the condemnation of theory, which is above their com¬ 
prehension, and whose practice generally consists in wffiat 
would generally be far better left undone, as far as their 
employers are concerned. 
As to getting an Act of Parliament to force society to 
employ us in preference to non-qualified men, we must 
surely be of much too sanguine temperament to expect any¬ 
thing of the sort, especially when a “ Working Practitioner” 
assures us that it can be shown that in many instances they 
are equally successful, and in some instances more so, in the 
treatment of their cases than the qualified man is, and which 
society is so ready to discover. If such do really exist, it is 
unlucky for the interests of the profession that their natural 
modesty deters them from coming forward before a compe¬ 
tent body of practical men and showing to the world their 
merits, and receiving such certificates as to enable them to 
be put on the register and be received among us as qualified 
XLII. 51 
