PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION K. 711 



patients in many instances, and sell them at a good profit, either 

 to the original owner or some one else. Nevertheless, in a couple 

 of years, it was no unusual thing to have thirty or forty patients 

 in at a time. 



In 1886 the college buildings were erected, but the institution 

 was not opened for teaching purposes till January, 1888. A curri- 

 culum was arranged in accordance with the regulations of the Act, 

 and Mr. E. Rivett, M.R.C.V.S., and Dr. Joyce, having been 

 engaged to assist in teaching, classes were opened, and six students 

 entered. The teaching staff was added to as the necessity arose. 

 Amongst the new additions were Mr. C. Vyner, M.R.C.V.S., Mr. 

 S. S. Cameron, M.R.C.V.S., and Professor McBride, Ph.D., 

 M.R.C.V.S., and Mr. A. Goule, M.R.C.V.S. During the first 

 year, students attended the College of Pharmacy foj chemistry and 

 materia medica; but, in consequence of Professor Jackson severing 

 his connexion with that institution and afterwards engaging to 

 teach at the Veterinary College, a libellous article appeared in 

 the Pharmaceutical Journal depreciating the latter institution. 

 This led to an action at law, and the Pharmaceutical Society was 

 mulcted in damages to the extent of £416, and costs. This action 

 was an important event in the history of the College, and was 

 rendered necessary on account of the fact that the Veterinary 

 Board had withdrawn its recognition of the teaching, and refused 

 to appoint examiners to examine the students in consequence of 

 the article referred to. The effect of the verdict on the Veterinary 

 Board was electrical. At its next meeting, a resolution was passed 

 recognising the teaching, and it was decided to appoint an Examin- 

 ing Board. 



After that things went more smoothly for a time. It would 

 occupy too much time to relate the many ups and down of the 

 old college. Suffice it to say that the Veterinary Board always 

 obtained the best available examiners, often seeking aid from 

 Sydney, and that from the first a high standard of efficiency was 

 insisted upon, with the result that graduates have established a 

 status for the profession that many countries might envy. 



Another event which occurred in 1891, and caused a consider- 

 able amount of anxiety for a time, was an effort on the part of an 

 association formed by a section of the profession to obtain a site 

 and funds to establish a State Veterinary School. The association 

 so far succeeded as to obtain a site at Spotswood, and negotia- 

 tions were opened with me in order to have the teaching trans- 

 ferred to the proposed State institution. As the site was a most 

 inconvenient and unsuitable one, I strongly opposed it, feeling 

 certain that failure would be sui'e to follow if such a transference 

 took place. The scheme was abandoned, and it was hoped that a 

 better site would have been substituted; but nothing further was 



