VALUE OF VETERINARY SCIENCE. 205 



The veterinary department of the University of Pennsyl- 

 vania is an exception to the rule, and has an endowment 

 fund, I think, of about $20,000. As it has the confidence of 

 the public, I have no doul)t this fund will be increased in 

 course of time. 



I will refrain from giving a detailed account of our veteri- 

 nary institutions, as I confess to having prejudices in favor 

 of some and against others, that might lead me to say more 

 than I care to, concerning them. 



In this country it has not been customary for the General 

 Government to aid or manage educational institutions of 

 the higher order, excepting our agricultural and industrial 

 colleges, but our universities and classical colleges have been 

 richly endowed by wealthy friends. It is to be hoped that 

 at no distant day individuals with large means may recog- 

 nize the fact that the sciences are no less important than 

 Latin and Greek, and that before long our agricultural 

 colleges and veterinary schools will receive a liberal share of 

 the donations and bequests which now fall to the lot of our 

 classical institutions. Let us also hope that our General 

 and State Governments will give veterinary subjects that 

 encouragement and recognition they deserve. 



As I have already remarked, the course of study at the 

 Continental veterinary schools is four years ; at those in 

 Great Britain three years (it was but two years until quite 

 recently), and here two or three years. Two years is too 

 short a time for the study of veterinary medicine. Much of 

 the knowledge acquired during a short term is obtained by 

 what students call "cramming"; that is, hard, continuous 

 study, whereas we know that the mind assimilates what it 

 gets better if more time is taken to digest its food. 



Three years is a better course than two, and four years is 

 preferable to either ; still, a student's success depends largely 

 on himself, and he should always bear in mind that his 

 college training is only a preliminary education, and that an 

 enthusiast in any profession or field of research is in reality 

 a life-long student. 



Our American veterinary schools educate their pupils with 

 a view to making their livelihood as private practitioners after 

 graduating ; but Yankees are always ready to grasp an idea, 



