86 
THE VETERINARIAN, FEBRUARY 1, 1871. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.— ClCERO. 
THE PRACTICAL EXAMINATION. 
During the discussion which occurred at the last special 
meeting of Council on the subject of the practical test 
to be applied at the forthcoming examination of candi- 
dates for the diploma of the Royal College of Veterinary 
Surgeons, Mr. W. Field succeeded in condensing the 
whole argument in the space of a sentence. It will be 
seen in the report of the special meeting which we publish, 
that the proposed rearrangement of the system of examina- 
tions has not escaped animadversion on the part at least of 
one influential member of council whose opinion is entitled 
to respect. Not to mince the matter, the proposed test has 
been plainly designated “ a farce that is to say in pros- 
pective, the thing not having yet been tried. Mr. Field’s 
response to this suggestion was in terms precise, and in 
spirit most temperate ; he said, in reference to the exami- 
nation “ that whether it would result in a farce or no, it 
was for the Council to decide if it would go on with it. 
It had never yet been tried, and therefore none could say 
for certain what the result would be. The public wished 
for a practical test, and the profession at large were con- 
stantly asking for it ; therefore it was most desirable, at all 
events, to make the attempt. If the examination did not 
give satisfaction it could afterwards be either altered or dis- 
continued.” 
Nothing more needs to be said upon the matter in question. 
The system has to be tried very shortly* and if found to be 
impracticable or useless it can be abandoned. At the same 
time, without wishing to predicate the result of the experi- 
ment, we confess ourselves unable to perceive in what 
direction the difficulties lie. It is alleged that young men 
leave the Colleges as certificated members of the Veterinary 
profession fit and capable to practise the Veterinary art, and 
