510 ItOYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
were willing to examine the students this year. He had no 
doubt that the professors of those colleges would do all in their 
power to carry out the preliminary examination next October. 
Mr. Helmore asked if it was considered advisable to avail 
themselves of the apprenticeship clause. 
Mr. Wilkinson said the want of the profession would be met 
by the institution of practical examinations. A student 
might acquire the necessary skill wherever he chose, but he 
would have to acquire it somewhere. 
Professor Spooner said the question of the propriety of in- 
troducing an apprenticeship clause was brought before the 
Council shortly after the charter was obtained, but the cor- 
porate body had no authority whatever with reference to the 
education of the pupil prior to his entering either of the col- 
leges, and there was great opposition offered to the insertion 
of such a clause in the by-laws, and the proposal fell to the 
ground. At that time he was opposed to the introduction of 
the clause; not only did he think it was not expedient, but 
he also felt that the Council had no such authority ; ‘but sub- 
sequent reflection and experience had induced him to alter 
his views as regards the advisability of a youth being placed 
under the tuition of a practising veterinary surgeon prior to 
his presenting himself for his final examination for the 
diploma of the College, and he was the more convinced of 
the correctness of his present view from what had recently 
occurred in the Council, viz. the resolution to establish 
practical examinations. He had advocated such examina- 
tions for more than a quarter of a century; but he had 
seen so many difficulties in the way of carrying them 
out, not only with reference to pathology, but also with 
reference to anatomy, that he had hesitated to make any stir 
in the matter. The council had, however, now decided that 
a practical examination should take place, and the pupil, 
therefore, must necessarily in future be practically educated. 
The question then arose, how was he to obtain that educa- 
tion ? It could not be imparted efficiently in a collegiate in- 
stitution. No doubt some who entered the schools without 
any previous instruction would, by diligently applying their 
minds to the study, become ornaments to the profession. 
He could relate several such instances, but still it was un- 
questionably better that a pupil should be competent to 
undergo a practical examination. At the Royal Veterinary 
College there were rarely less than seventy patients, and ope- 
rations were being constantly performed : but how could 
manipulative instruction be given to 100 or 150 young men 
at once ? He therefore looked to the profession at large to 
