98 ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS, 
but unless it could be thoroughly carried out it would be 
simply a farce. 
Mr. Fleming : I rise with some hesitation, as a member of 
the unfortunate Committee, inasmuch as I feel that perhaps 
Professor Spooner’s strictures on the constitution of that 
Committee might be deserved in my case nevertheless ; but 
on that Committee we had some of the most able members 
of the profession. I do not think it is necessary to be a 
teacher to judge of the requirements of a veterinary surgeon. 
The matter has been discussed frequently, and those teachers 
who are members of the Council might have been present, 
and made any remarks they wished on this subject ; but it 
would be a great pity if the labours of the Council were to be 
thrown away and reforms neglected merely because the teachers 
happened to be absent. I have not the faintest doubt in my own 
mind that this examination will be carried out, notwithstand- 
ing any obstruction that may be raised at the last moment; 
for I do not see that the difficulties to be surmounted are so 
very great. 
Mr. Field thought, whether the examination would 
result in a farce or not, was for the Council to decide. 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 
discontinued. 
The President : We have arrived now at this state of affairs : 
the Council has unanimously decided that an examination 
shall take place ; it has gone through all the phases of the 
business short of that which has very prudently been left to 
the discretion and independence of the examiners. I am 
quite sure that the examination will be conducted by the 
examiners in the way in which they individually and collec- 
tively consider the most suitable. I was in hope that by 
this time we should have had an answer from the Governors 
of the Royal Veterinary College that it would or would not 
be convenient for them to afford us the assistance which we 
should receive from having the interior of the College placed 
at our disposal for the examinations. I also hoped that at 
least for some part of the examination subjects might have 
been found amongst the patients of the College ; but, until 
we know whether the Governors are with us or against us, 
I do not see that we can take any step with reference to this 
letter. If they wish to know upon what subjects the stu- 
