THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 341 



appropriated to the salary of a professor of veterinary 

 surgery ; this, however, was not done. 



In 1864, the attention of the Board of National 

 Education was called to the recommendations of the 

 select committee of the House of Commons on scien- 

 tific institutions in Dublin, relative to the establishment 

 of an Agricultural and Veterinary School in connection 

 with the Society. The reply of the Commissioners 

 was referred to a special committee, which reported to 

 the Council early in 1865. The report briefly sketches 

 the work of the Society early in the century, mentions 

 the veterinary museum as " in good order and avail- 

 able," suggests that it is useless to communicate with 

 the Commissioners, and expresses the belief that the 

 Council will willingly undertake any duties in this 

 connection that Parliament may see fit to throw upon 

 the Society. 



In 1866, an influential committee was asked to 

 consider the possibility of founding a veterinary 

 school. The next year this committee submitted an 

 important report, which was the first attempt made to 

 deal with the question exhaustively and in a business- 

 like manner. A curriculum was drawn up, and it was 

 estimated that the annual cost of the staff of the 

 institution would be ^600, but the committee pointed 

 out that the Society had no funds for this purpose. 

 The committee was asked to furnish an estimate of 

 other expenses. In 1868, a memorial to the Treasury 

 in favour of the establishment of a veterinary school 

 was ordered to lie for signature during the Horse 

 Show of that year, but the minutes do not show 

 whether this memorial was ever forwarded. About 

 this time the formation of an Association of Veterinary 

 Surgeons in Dublin was projected, and the Society lent 

 offices for the meetings of the promoters. 



