The introductory lecture, delivered Nov. 20, 1833 / by William Percivall.

  • Percivall, William, 1792-1854.
Date:
[1833]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The introductory lecture, delivered Nov. 20, 1833 / by William Percivall. 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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    THE INTRODUCTORY LECTURE Delivered Nov. 20, 1833, BY WILLIAM PERCIVALL, M.R.C.S., & V.S., AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON/ Gentlemen, IN consequence of the lamented ill-health of your excellent instructor, and my estimable friend, Mr. Youatt, you behold me before you this evening as his willing, but, I fear (as the sequel may prove), his imperfect representative. Hardly a month ago I had no more idea of being called to such an honour, than any one who now hears me may have entertained. But the Council of this Institution having expressed their unwillingness that these Lectures should be discontinued, even for a single course, and suggested to the Lecturer the expediency of his providing himself, during his indisposition, with a substitute, Mr. Youatt has been induced (I presume in the spirit of friendship) to call on me. And since, gentlemen, I have answered that call, all I can say is, that I must do my best in the execution of the trust which my friend has done me the honour to repose in me; at least, to the extent that my own health, which has for some con- siderable time past been but indifferent, will permit me to exert myself. Veterinary Science, gentlemen, may be taken in its fullest sense to mean medical zoologij. Though, for many rea- sons, we have selected the iiorse as the principal object of study; yet is there no animal—no quadruped, at least—that can be said to stand without the pale of its investigations. Such as aie called domestic animals, it is true, form the ordinary sub- jects of our care: this, however, arises simply from the circum- stance of their coming so frequently under our notice, and not rom any prescribed limits set to the science itself. he pre-eminent station the horse occupies among other do- mestic quadrupeds, he owes to the variety of ways in which he contributes to our profits as well as to our pleasures, and to the