586 LETTER TO THE EDITORS FROM MR. WILLIAMS. 
of a similar kind which will be found in the pages of the 
Veterinarian , but to record the singular fact that two should 
have occurred in my practice within a year. 
LETTER TO THE EDITORS 
FROM MR. W. WILLIAMS, Y.S. 
Bradford; Aug . 10, 1864. 
Gentlemen, —In your last number you were pleased to 
make the following observations on our medical associations, 
after quoting from Mr. Greaves’ letter in the previous Vete¬ 
rinarian , “ first let the membership of the different veterinary 
societies be restricted to those who are members of the body 
corporate. We prefer this, and it may be a somewhat nar¬ 
row stand-point to the broader one of those who have gra¬ 
duated at any of the recognised schools, because it adds 
status to the profession/’ Let me state that Mr. Greaves 
advocates the broader stand-point, and I think the remarks 
had better never have been made, as they are undoubt¬ 
edly calculated to do harm, by destroying the harmony 
that is now existing amongst the members of the various 
societies. As a graduate of the Edinburgh Veterinary Col¬ 
lege, possessing its diploma, and not desiring at present to 
possess any other, and having taken a pretty active part in 
the formation of the Yorkshire Veterinary Society, these 
remarks, ill-calculated as they are as to consequences, come 
home to myself, and I challenge you to give proof of how 
graduates of the Edinburgh Veterinary College detract from 
the status of these societies. Mr. Greaves, in his letter, 
mentions an uncourteous, bigoted man, who is by law per¬ 
mitted to call himself a veterinary surgeon, and I feel con¬ 
vinced that if he had known how his letter would be perverted, 
the observations would never have been penned. I can 
assure you that the rule relating to the admission of mem¬ 
bers was made, after due deliberation, in a full meeting; and 
when the majority present were members of the Royal 
College of Veterinary Surgeons, and graduates of the Royal 
Veterinary College. For my own part, since the formation 
of our Society, I have laboured hard to advance it in every 
way, and think that I can, without egotism, claim a priority 
in England of having sent our ‘ Transactions’ to you for pub- 
