130 HISTOKICAL ACCOUNT OF THE VETERINARY DEPARTMENT OF 



Eiglith Session, l^m-^l. r^ 



Twenty-five practical and fourteen amateur pupils attended 

 tlie course of lectures for the eighth session, and at the close of 

 the examinations, which took place on the 19th and 20th April, 

 certificates were conferred on eight. The benefits resulting 

 from the Establishment were now appreciated by the country ; 

 and it was considered that no money could be more usefully 

 expended by any district than the small sum necessary to send 

 a student to attend the lectures and instructions of Mr Dick, 

 with a view to qualify him for veterinary practice in the district. 

 Certificates were not issued until after a regular course of study 

 of at least two sessions, and after a careful examination. By 

 these means there was a prospect of seeing our numerous and 

 valuable class of domesticated animals freed from the ignorant 

 treatment to which they must necessarily be subjected when 

 farriers have not been enabled to found their practice upon a 

 proper scientific education. The thanks of the Society were 

 this year voted to the medical gentlemen who conducted the 

 examinations, as well as to tlie lecturers on different depart- 

 ments of medical science, who had liberally given admission to 

 a limited number of the veterinary students to attend their 

 lectures without expense. 



Ninth Session, 1831-32. 



The ninth session was commenced with an increased number 

 of students. Sir George Ballingall called the attention of the 

 Society, at the General Meeting in January 1832, to the pros- 

 perity of the school, an object so worthy of its patronage. The 

 number of students was yearly on the increase, and he (Sir George) 

 and his professional brethren who had attended the examinations 

 were highly gratified by witnessing the intelligence and attain- 

 ments of the students, and the unremitting attention of Mr Dick. 

 At the close of the examinations this session the certificate was 

 conferred on nine students. Mr Wood, one of the examiners, 

 after alluding to the uncommon success of Mr Dick as a teacher, 

 evinced year after year in the appearance made by his students, 

 very earnestly impressed upon the students the debt of grati- 

 tude they owed to their instructor, and which would be best 

 discharged by an honourable and zealous prosecution of their 

 profession, and a free and liberal communication to Mr Dick of 

 all remarkable cases which might come under their notice for 

 publication in the Society's Transactions. Mr Dick returned 

 his acknowledgments for the gratifying notice which had been 

 taken of his exertions, which he said would assuredly be an 

 additional motive to his assiduous attention to the school. It 

 was his duty, he added, to acquaint the members of the hand- 



