174 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE VETERINAEY DEPARTMENT OF 



examination in clinical, but did not pass, had been stopped this 

 year. He would like it to be thoroughly known that it was of 

 the first importance that students should know their business 

 practically. In the conduct of his business in London he 

 frequently came into contact with students who had 

 " M.Pt.C.V.S." appended to their names. He knew of two men 

 having these letters to their names who coidd not count a pulse, 

 did not know how to go about giving a horse a ball, who could 

 not do the slightest operation in connection with a horse ; in 

 fact, they were afraid to approach one. It was with the view 

 of avoiding the occurrence of anything of that sort with those 

 studying here that the practical clinical examinations had been 

 established. 



Principal Williams returned thanks on behalf of his colleagues 

 and himself for the kind manner in which their services had 

 been acknowledged. He endorsed what Mr Dollar had stated, 

 but he said there was something to be urged on behalf of the 

 students. In time past they had been in the habit of giving five 

 lectures per day, and two hours of demonstrations in the 

 dissecting-room. With these seven hours of theoretical work, it 

 was almost impossible for the students to find time for practical 

 work. But this was the last examination under the old regime. 

 In future, the examination would be conducted at stated periods : 

 a minor examination in July, and a final or major one in the 

 following April. In this way they could get quit of one lecture 

 per day, and devote the time to practical work. 



Lord Provost Cowan congratulated the Society on what he 

 believed was the most successful examination which had been 

 made by the College since its foundation. He hoped the 

 attendance would continue to increase, and he could only say as 

 Lord Provost, and as having something to do with the College, 

 that he thought they had commenced a new era, and that the 

 Trustees would give every assistance to their able Principal in 

 helping him to conduct the affairs of the College successfully. 



On 5th March, 1873, the Directors of the Society agreed to 

 make a grant of £50 to the College to enable an arrangement to 

 be made with Professor Balfour for conducting the botany class 

 to be established in connection with the College. 



The first of the preliminary examination of students, suggested 

 last year, took place on the 15th and 16th July 1873, when twenty- 

 six students presented themselves, and only one failed to pass. 



Fifty-first Session, 1873-74. 



At the general meeting of the Society in January 1874, 

 Captain Tod of Howden reported that the chair of Cattle Patho- 

 logy, which was established in connection with the Edinburgh 



