160 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE VETEEINAKY DEPARTMENT OF 



most effective mode of preserving their health, it was simply 

 impossible that we could be successful in either of the branches 

 he had mentioned.. He did not require to tell them how very 

 highly this country stood in regard to the breeding of stock. In 

 this respect he might say that we excelled every other country 

 in Europe. In England, indeed, we have an unexampled breed 

 of horses. It was once said by an eminent lexicographer, that 

 in England oats were grown as food for horses, and in Scotland 

 as food for men. But, then, where could they find such horses 

 and such men ? 



On the same occasion. Professor Dick remarked it was no 

 easy task to carry through a whole session with a class of some 

 eighty or ninety young men — wild, sometimes, and riotous — 

 careless, and sometimes stupid — sometimes high-spirited, and at 

 other times taking up notions of their own. This was no easy 

 task ; it was no easy matter to curb such pupils, yet he was able 

 to do so with benefit to themselves until the last hour of the 

 present session. He hoped he might be able to hold the reins 

 for some time longer, and if Providence- ordained that he should 

 die in harness, he would keep on by these reins as long as he 

 could, and endeavour to drive up to the mark all the students 

 that entered the Veterinary College. 



With reference to the nature of the examinations, Dr Andrew 

 Wood said he had heard the assertion made that the examina- 

 tion of students made at the Veterinary College was a sham. 

 To this his reply would be, that if it was a sham, then the 

 examination of all graduates in medicine was a sham, the examin- 

 ation of all the candidates who came forward at the College of 

 Surgeons was a sham. Erom an experience of twenty years as 

 an examiner at the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, he would 

 say that the examination there was not more strict and searching 

 than that of the Edinburgh Veterinary College. And he might 

 say further, that the standard in regard to efficiency as a veter- 

 inary surgeon was so high as to warrant him in saying that any 

 one going forth with that certificate was undoubtedly a member 

 of a liberal scientific profession. 



During the currency of this session. Professor Dick com- 

 menced to publish, in the Society's Transactions for January 

 1863, a summary of the cases of diseases, injuries, &c., registered 

 in the clinical transactions of his College, for the purpose of 

 showing a general outline of the amount of practice which the 

 students attending the College had of obtaining a practical 

 knowledge of their profession. Notes of the most interesting 

 cases were taken by the more advanced pupils, v/ho, under 

 regulated direction and supervision, were allowed to have more 

 or less personal • charge and management. At the same time 

 every student had an opportunity of seeing almost all the cases, 



