164 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE VETERINARY DEPARTMENT OF 



sional character which he commended to them — namely, thorough 

 apprehension of the nature of truth ; that was to say, he could 

 not write a thing, nor could he discuss any question, excej)t in 

 the most perfectly open, simple, and fundamental manner. 



Sir Alexander Gibson-Maitland, in reporting to the general 

 meeting of the Highland Society in June tliat the examinations 

 had been carried on and completed with the usual success which 

 had for many years attended them, said the examinations this 

 year had a melancholy interest. The moving spirit in that 

 class-room had passed for ever from among his pupils and 

 his friends. He felt quite certain that he expressed the feeling 

 of the members of the Society when he said that every one 

 regretted the loss which the Highland Society had sustained 

 by the death of Professor Dick ; and when he said further that 

 Professor Dick was the first educated person in Scotland who 

 made an attempt to rescue veterinary science from obscurity, he 

 was quite sure he took the whole public with him as sharers of 

 that regret. After noticing the different steps taken by Professor 

 Dick in his earlier years. Sir Alexander concluded by saying 

 that perhaps the best proof of the esteem in which the Professor 

 was held in Edinburgh was this fact, that year after year the 

 medical gentlemen who attended to examine his students were 

 among the first men in Edinburgh. He was quite sure the 

 Society would put on their Minutes their deep regret at the loss 

 sustained by the death of Professor Dick. The suggestion by 

 Sir Alexander was most unanimously agreed to. 



Vderinao^y Surgeons' Bill. — At the same meeting (June 1866) 

 it was agreed to petition against Mr Holland's " Veterinary 

 Surgeons' Bill," which excluded any one holding the certificate of 

 the Highland Society only from calling himself a veterinary 

 surgeon (that title being reserved exclusively for members 

 of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) ; the petition 

 adopted by the Society was sent to every Scotch as well as to 

 several English and Irish Members of the House of Commons ; 

 and thereafter Mr Holland withdrew his Bill. The passing of 

 the Bill, it may be added, was only frustrated by the constant 

 watchfulness of its opponents at every stage. 



Forty-fourth Session, 1866-67. 



From the end of last session the Society ceased to superintend 

 the Edinburgh Veterinary College, Professor Dick having, as 

 already stated, endowed and bequeathed it in trust to the Lord 

 Provost, Magistrates, and Town Council of Edinburgh. The 

 Society, however, continued to patronise it by granting medals to 

 successful students, and to appoint a Board of Examiners. 



