LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 243 
Challinor, Pencilebury; Jas. B. Taylor, Mottram; R. Budge, 
Bury; John Greaves, Altringham; Howell, Rochdale;Whittle, 
Worsley; Carter, Bradford; Naylor, Wakefield; Jos. Halfry, 
Southport; Leech, Bakewell. 
The private business of the Association having been con¬ 
cluded, the President delivered the following inaugural address: 
Gentlemen, —In taking my place before you this evening in the capa¬ 
city of your president, and assuming for the first time the responsibilities 
of that office, I labour under a considerable degree of diffidence, being 
well aware of my deficiencies and imperfections. Nevertheless, I cannot 
but feel proud of the distinguished and honourable position in which you 
have placed me, that of presiding over so large, intelligent, and 
influential a body of Veterinary Surgeons as I see before me. But I 
must confess I doubt whether you have got “ the right man in the right 
place.” I very much fear, too, I shall not be able to initiate and infuse 
that vigour, energy of mind, and earnestness of purpose which ought to 
emanate from the chair and be influential to persuade and animate each 
member individually. I likewise very much fear I shall be found only a 
poor successor to our very worthy and deservedly esteemed ex-president, 
Mr. Lawson. But since you have made your election, since you have 
made your bargain, as Paddy says, ** a good bargain is all very well, but 
a bad bargain is better than no bargain at all.” 
In Leeds, where it was my happiness to be present at the opening of the 
Yorkshire Veterinary Association, I believe they have made no mistake 
about their president, for they have “the right man in the right place.” I 
have very great pleasure also in reporting to you that their president 
received me with great cordiality as your representative. I was an entire 
stranger to all there, except two or three. The respect and courtesy 
shown me I esteemed as a compliment paid to you, and I must say I felt 
honoured to be the president of a body so much respected, and I know, 
whenever an opportunity occurs, this respect will be reciprocated by you. 
I must ask you, gentlemen, kindly to accord me your indulgence and 
attention while I deliver what I believe to be the first inaugural address 
ever attempted before a veterinary audience in Lancashire. The annual 
addresses delivered at our Alma Mater, although always of unexception¬ 
able excellence, are framed with the view of being chiefly applicable to the 
student of veterinary medicine, therefore an essentially different form is 
called for when addressing an audience composed entirely of experienced 
and business men as this is, some of whose honoured heads have grown 
grey in the service of their country. This attempt will be seen to be only 
a simple, plain, homely exposition of facts in connection with veterinary 
science. I have found it utterly impossible to compress within reasonable 
bounds the whole of the matter I felt anxious to have commented upon ; 
such, for instance, as the sciences of Botany and Agriculture, with the 
manner in which they are linked to our art, and how the best interests of 
each are bound up with the other. I should like to have made some 
observations, also, on the subject of vivisection, veterinary jurisprudence, 
the question of soundness of horses, and likewise upon the question of 
breeding stock, the great importance of a wise, intelligent selection, &c., 
&c. Moreover, a most interesting enquiry would have been the question 
of a desirability of a superior education being given to the veterinary 
student, but time and space forbid all this. 
In this address I have not aimed at producing a learned dissertation ; 
perhaps some of my hearers mav complain that it is not sufficiently 
