THE HIGHLAND AND AGEICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 143 



order that they may procure its certificate to be afterwards 

 exhibited as a voucher of their having been educated at the 

 Edinburgh Veterinary College. 



The examinations formerly conducted under the immediate 

 sanction and control of the Society's Committee' ,took place 

 publicly, and were of the most trying and searching description 

 — they occupied several days, and the adjudicating of the 

 different degrees of excellence when awarding the prizes often 

 proved matter of difficulty to the examiners, and could only be 

 determined after repeated comparative trial. 



The opinions of Dr Mercer and Mr Brown, referred to in 

 Mr Burn Murdoch's report for June 1847, as expressed in their 

 written communications to that gentleman, proved the superior 

 value of the former examinations over those of the Eoyal 

 College. 



It was also resolved that the Society's examination should 

 precede that of the Eoyal College — any apparent collusion 

 arising from the necessity which might possibly occur of the 

 Society's Board rejecting candidates previously passed by the 

 Board of the Eoyal College being thus avoided. 



Mr Burn Murdoch, the Convener of the Veterinary Com- 

 mittee, in reporting on the examinations for the session, 

 which took place on the 18th and 19th April 1848, said it 

 was the first that had been made by the Society since the old 

 system was changed, three years ago. For the last three years 

 the examinations had not been reported by the Committee, 

 because they felt themselves as under the orders of a separate 

 body. They had, however, taken upon themselves to reorganise 

 the system of examination as formerly conducted, and it was 

 attended by a great number of gentlemen, as well as by a 

 large body of medical professors and practitioners in Edin- 

 burgh, by whom the examination was conducted, and who 

 declared that it had aftbrded them entire satisfaction. Twenty- 

 four candidates presented themselves, and nineteen obtained 

 certificates. Their examination was of the most searching and 

 minute kind. Professor Low confirmed what had been stated 

 by the Convener as to the extremely satisfactory character 

 of the examinations. Indeed, it was most surprising to see 

 those young men, who had such a short period for study 

 allowed them, making so great progress, not only in the 

 veterinary art, but in anatomy, physiology, and, he would also 

 add, chemistry. 



Tvjenty-sixth Session, 1848-49. 



The examinations for the twenty-sixth session took j^lace 

 on the 23d and 24th April 1849, and brought out a very 



