THE HIGHLAND AND AGItlCULTUIlAL SOCIETY. 137 



ence to a standing rule, imposed for the first time this year, every 

 candidate for certificate produced at least one dissection, some 

 four, showing by injection the blood-vessels and nerves of some 

 important part of the frame, and a medal was awarded for the 

 best preparation. This medal was gained by Mr J. W. Lock- 

 wood, York, one of the two successful candidates who obtained 

 the medal for general excellence. Among the medical gentle- 

 men who conducted the examinations on this occasion were Sir 

 Charles Bell, professor of surgery in the University ; Sir George 

 Ballingall, professor of military surgery ; Sir William New- 

 bigging ; Mr Fergussou (afterwards Sir William Fergusson, Bart., 

 professor of surgery, King's College, London), and Mr Robertson, 

 veterinary surgeon. Cavalry Depot, York, the first graduate of 

 the school who received the appointment of veterinary surgeon in 

 Her Majesty's army, under the arrangement formerly alluded to. 



In April 1840 a petition to the Directors of the Society, 

 signed by forty-five veterinary students, praying that in future 

 the titles of College and Professor should be respectively applied 

 to the Edinburgh Veterinary Institution, and the teacher, Mr 

 Dick, instead of school and lecturer, at this time in use. The 

 Yeterinary Committee, to whom the petition was referred, were 

 of opinion that the designation of the establishment (while it did 

 not interfere in any way with the rights of others) would have 

 the effect of increasing its resi^ectability and usefulness among 

 strangers, and especially in England ; and also considering that 

 the designation of College and Professor are invariably bestowed 

 by the public upon such institutions and the lecturers, unani- 

 mously agreed to recommend for the approval of the Directors 

 the adoption of the change in the designation of the institution, 

 in terms of the prayer of the petition. The Board approved of 

 the proposed change, and from this date the titles College and 

 Professor have been in use.* 



Eighteenth Session, 1840-41. 



During the eighteenth session the class was in greater vigour 

 than it had ever been before, there being eighty-six pupils attend- 

 ing the lectures. At the close of the session, the usual examina- 

 tions took place on the 19th and 20th April,and were conducted by 

 Sir Charles Bell, Sir George Ballingall, Sir William Newbigging, 



* When John Walker inserted the word "veterinary" in his Dictionar)', and 

 gave its definition as "belonging to cattle, particularly horses ; from the Latin 

 veterinarius, a farrier or horse-doctor," he added a note stating that he had 

 adopted the word from a prospect of its becoming a part of the English language ; 

 and that as a college had been founded in Loudon for studying the diseases to 

 which the horse is liable, lie thought the name of Veterinary College must come 

 into general use, and ought therefore to have a place in English Dictionaries. 

 Previous to Walker, Ash was the only lexicographer who had it. 



