166 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE VETEEINARY DEPARTMENT OF 



pupils by whom they had been acquh-ed, said he appeared before 

 them that day for the first time as Chairman of the Veterinary 

 Committee of the Highland Society. He had some diffidence in 

 appearing before them for the first time, and he hoped they 

 would bear with him in the few remarks he had to make, as he 

 knew the duties imposed on him were somewhat arduous — that 

 is, if they were rightly performed by him, and he would be 

 sorry to undertake the performance of any duty he did not mean 

 to go through with thoroughly. He also felt some difidence in 

 filling a position which had been occupied by one so eminent as 

 the late Professor Goodsir, whose fame had made him not only 

 well known in Great Britain, but who was also considered on 

 the Continent to be at the top of his profession ; and he had 

 heard Professor Meyer in Germany acknowledge that he was, 

 when living, one of the most learned and skilful anatomists of 

 the day. He (Mr Gillon) had accepted the office, when it was 

 resigned by Professor Goodsir, with great hesitation, because it 

 was a difficult position to fill, and lie did not see why he should 

 be called upon to come before them as Chairman of the Com- 

 mittee of the Highland Society, and taking an immense interest 

 in the College. He supposed it was because his friends thought, 

 as he was very fond of sport and a lover of the horse, that he 

 would take an interest in this College and the objects for which 

 it was established. He might say now that he did take a deep 

 interest in all our domestic animals, and especially in the horse. 

 Another reason why he hesitated for some time before accepting 

 office was, that he considered some practitioner or experienced 

 lecturer would have been better qualified to fill it, if he could 

 have been had, because he could have enforced upon the students 

 better than he could how requisite it was for them to study 

 earnestly and zealously when they were at work before they 

 could become properly qualified and proficient veterinary 

 surgeons. It was very satisfactory for him to be able to state 

 that the examinators that day had been highly pleased with the 

 various classes they had examined in the College — in fact, they 

 talked most highly of the acquirements in veterinary knowledge 

 of all the students who had come before them. It was from that 

 illustrious College, which had been rendered illustrious by its 

 founder, the late lamented Professor Dick, that a vast number 

 of eminent and successful veterinary surgeons had gone out into 

 the world, and these pronounced to the world the sound teaching 

 they had received while students of the Veterinary College of 

 Edinburoh. The examinators who had attended had done so at 

 no small trouble and inconvenience, and he was sure they were 

 deeply indebted to them for all they had done. He wished to 

 remind the gentlemen who had carried off the Highland Society's 

 certificates that they should endeavour to keep up with the 



