CORRESPONDENCE. 
279 
^ other dealers, he found that they accepted the situation philo- 
. sophically, and always made provision in the price asked for the 
horse, so as to be in position to meet the demands of the snr- 
oreons. 
* 
An attempt upon my part to defend my profession by saying 
that the-practice was not general, but confined to a very few of 
the lower class of the members, was met by the emphatic state¬ 
ment that in his experience and that of other dealers with whom 
he conversed, it was exceptional to find a veterinarian who 
would refuse the proffered bribe, and not uncommon to find men 
who would “ brace ” the dealer for it before undertaking the ex¬ 
amination, and raise the ante ” when some unsoundness was 
: to be passed over and a clean certificate given. 
As I had recently entered the profession and been surfeited 
; b}^ the professors of my alma mater with lofty ideas of profes- 
I sional ethics and the honorable science of veterinary medicine, 
this fell upon my ears with pain and discouragement, and I 
refused to believe it, and so appeal to you, Mr. Editors, who are 
upon the ground and must know the methods in vogue in New 
York, for refutation or verification of the scandalous charges 
detailed above. In the city where I practice, if such disgraces do 
exist, it is certainly not so general as described by my inform¬ 
ant as maintaining in the Empire City. 
If you confirm the report of this dealer, I tremble for the 
future of veterinary medicine, for surely no honorable calling 
can be enduring when characterized by such disgraceful acts. 
. It strikes me that a man guilty of such an act should be precipi- 
. tately kicked out of every professional organization with which 
he has the effrontery to associate himself. I do not see how any 
honorable man can work in the interest of and for the protec¬ 
tion of his client and then accept money from the other side. 
I No honest man can work for two masters. 
Awaiting your reply, I remain, with good wishes for the 
continued success of the Review, 
A Poor but Honorable Veterinarian. 
Replying to the serious charges or criticism of our correspondent, the Review has no 
hesitation in saying that he has been imposed upon by his informant—at least in so far as 
• generalities are concerned. It is not the exception to find honorable veterinarians in New 
York City; but on the contrary, the great body of the profession in this city are men of 
integrity, honor, and dignity, far above the disreputable practices charged by the dealer 
who has apparently had such an unfortunate experience. Men of such character may be 
found in the veterinary profession, and in every other calling, including the ministry, and 
they permeate the profession probably equally in all large cities; but when any individual 
assails the veterinarians of New York City as a class with .'•uch broad charges as conveyed 
by our correspondent, he does so without knowledge of the facts with which he is 
dealing. 
