NORTH OF ENGLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 117 
It is to be hoped that this answer, the only one that could 
be dictated by reason, will not in the least lessen those senti¬ 
ments of humanity which never ought to be departed from 
by those who, for a superior object, are under the painful 
necessity of inflicting sufferings on beings who are, like our¬ 
selves, endowed with sensations; and that humanity will 
lose nothing by being left to the safeguard of the consciences 
of men, whose only object is the acquirement of knowledge, 
in preference to legal enactments, of which no one could 
guarantee the complete execution. 
NORTH OF ENGLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL 
ASSOCIATION. 
[official report.] 
Tiie first meeting of the above society was held on Friday, 
the 15th of January, 1864, at the “ Crown and Thistle 5 ' 
Hotel, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and was well attended. In 
addition to the previous list of members, Mr. John Fairbairn, 
Alnwick; Mr. W. S. M oore, Gateshead; and Mr. Thomas 
Coates, Brampton, Cumberland, were admitted. 
The manner in which the proposal to form such a desirable 
society in the north of England has been received is very 
gratifying to the promoters, particularly in this instance, as 
it is evident that elements not only exist, but are available, 
for the establishment of an extensive and influential asso¬ 
ciation, the tendency of which must be that of mutual good. 
The usual business preliminaries having been arranged, 
the President, Mr. C. Hunting, proceeded to deliver the 
following address : 
Gentlemen ,—In taking a retrospective glance at our pro¬ 
fession, there are many things upon which we are justly 
entitled to congratulate ourselves, but there are still some 
which we must regard as blots and stains upon our escutcheon. 
Our object, therefore, as professional men, should be to mul¬ 
tiply as much as possible the former, and radically root up 
the latter. 
I am not one of those who take a desponding view of the 
veterinary profession. That we do not stand so high in the 
estimation of the public as we have a right to expect, I am 
quite willing to acknowledge; but the fault is principally 
owing to us as individuals , and not as members of the 
profession ; for although the profession does not prevent a 
gentleman from being received as one, yet, unlike either the 
clerical, legal, and medical, it does not give him a status in 
society, unless he individually, by his private and pro- 
