Royal Veterinary College, London : inauguration of the winter session, 1897-98.

  • Royal Veterinary College (London, England)
Date:
[1897]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Royal Veterinary College, London : inauguration of the winter session, 1897-98. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    future (applause). Gentlemen, I came here to listen, and not to speak, and therefore, my remarks will be very short indeed. I gathered at the commence- ment of these proceedings, that this meeting was very similar in its character to meetings that I have attended in days gone by, of other educational estab- lishments. I remember that in those days when I was happy enough to be as young as many of those I see around me to-day, that there were several things we liked and a great many things we disliked; but of all the things that we disliked—and cordially disliked—at the meetings that then took place, there was nothing that we disliked so much as a long speech on any possible occasion (laughter). Though I daresay in some particular details there may be differences in these establishments, this is a common ground of agreement, in which all find themselves united, and, therefore, as I do not want on this first occasion of visiting your College to make a bad start, I have every reason for curtailing my remarks. “Gentlemen, in the position which it is my privilege to occupy, my colleagues in office and myself are brought daily into very close connection with the great profession of which some of you are members, and to which others of you hope to belong some day, and no doubt, will adorn, and we have to rely enormously upon the assistance which we receive at the hands of the veterinary profession throughout the country. 1 need hardly say, for it is well known to you, that the Board of Agriculture has received in days gone by, and receives to-day, the most valuable assist- ance at the hands of Professor Brown, who is sitting near me, and who is so well known to us (cheers), assistance which it is impossible for any one to exaggerate, in regard to the readiness, generosity, and goodwill with which it has invariably been rendered. Mr Cope and Mr Duguid are two gentlemen whose services are of great value to us, and who bring us into, perhaps, still closer connection with your great calling. But it is in our administration that we are so dependent on the members of your profession, and I am glad to remember that during the time I have had the honour to be head of the department with which I am now associated, it has lain in my power to extend, at all events to some small degree, the opportunities of veterinary officers in connection with the work which they do for us through- out the country. We have, I hope, already given them opportunities, in connection with the administration of the bwine-Fever Acts, to exercise a wider discretion, which has certainly thrown upon them great responsibility, and I have no hesitation in saying that up to the present time I have had no cause, neither have my colleagues at the Board of Agriculture, to do otherwise than congratulate ourselves on the change which has been made, or the way in which it has been taken advantage of by the veterinary profession. I am glad, also, to remember that with regard to veterinary inspectors at ports we were already able last year to raise two or three gentlemen from temporary appointments to the permanent service, and no doubt we shall see our way, as time goes on, to extend and increase that number (applause). I only refer to those two facts as proofs, and I think I may fairly offer them to you as such, that the Board of Agriculture not only realises how dependent it is upon the veterinary profession for the successful administration of the Acts for which we are responsible, but also that we recognise fully the work that is done by veterinary surgeons throughout the country, and that we are most anxious, whenever we have an opportunity, to set our seal in regard to your work, by improving in any way that is possible the positions that veterinary officers hold, as showing the confidence we are able to feel in them (applause). “ I do not propose, as I have said, to make a speech, and I am certainly not going to endeavour to instruct you in the science of your profession, because I am afraid there would be several difficulties in the way if I were to make any such attempt. I am confident that I should scarcely have commenced before
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