176 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE VETERINARY DEPARTMENT OF 



would in future be given. The extension of the course of study, 

 he thought, had also given satisfaction. Some gentlemen that 

 day had expressed a wish that the study in the course of time 

 might be extended to three winter and two summer sessions. 

 That arrangement he believed would be more suitable to many 

 gentlemen who came forward as candidates for the veterinary 

 profession, because many of the students came from country dis- 

 tricts, who in the summer might assist their friends at home and 

 devote the winter to study. He had been very much pleased in 

 the yard to see the way in which many of the students went up 

 to examine horses. He had been greatly disappointed in years 

 gone by when he saw men going up to a horse without knowing 

 the least thing about the animal. He had also listened with 

 great pleasure, and he hoped with some profit to himself, to the 

 examination that day, and he was sure that the proceedings had 

 been entirely satisfactory. After thanking the gentlemen who 

 had acted as examiners, Captain Tod said that many of the 

 students had finished their course of education ; but, at the same 

 time, they would remember that they must not give up studying, 

 because there was always something to learn. iNow-a-days the 

 members of the veterinary profession were of much greater im- 

 portance than they were in the olden time. The stock of the 

 country was now of a more valuable description, and the owners 

 of that stock would require to employ men who were not only 

 competent to cure, but to prevent disease. 



Sir Alexander Gibson-Maitland corroborated what had been said 

 by Captain Tod as to the importance of the profession, and re- 

 marked that had there been any stockowners present, he had 

 intended to give them a hint or two in regard to their conduct 

 to veterinary surgeons, inasmuch as in many cases the instruc- 

 tions given by the surgeon were not efficiently carried out. There 

 were often about places old grooms or cow-men, who had peculiar 

 nostrums of their own, and frequently the masters were induced 

 to follow the advice of these men, and to disregard that of the 

 surgeon, the consequence being generally very injurious to the 

 animal. In concluding his remarks. Sir Alexander counselled 

 the students to beware of the temptations to which members of 

 the profession they intended to enter were exposed. 



The second of the preliminary examination of students took 

 place on the 14th and 15th July 1874, when thirty-seven students 

 presented themselves, and -only six failed to pass. 



Fifty-second Session, 1874-75. 



The examinations for this session took place on the 

 12th 13th, and 14th April 1875. Forty students presented 

 themselves for the practical clinical examinations, and of 



