130 THE FRENCH ARMY VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
These veterinary surgeons shall be distributed among the several 
military depots and regiments. 
Art. 2. The appointment of chief and first veterinary surgeon 
shall be conferred by ourselves at the instance of our minister of 
war. The aides and sub-aides to be appointed by the minister of 
war. 
Art. 3. The post of sub -aide shall devolve on the military 
pupils of the school at Alfort who have obtained a veterinary di- 
ploma, or, in default of a sufficient number of them, on civil pupils 
who have obtained a diploma at any of our veterinary schools. 
Art. 4. The post of assistant veterinary surgeon shall be con- 
ferred on such sub-aides as shall have been in the army at least two 
years. 
Art. 5. The post of first veterinary surgeon shall devolve on 
aides who have been in office four years at least. 
Art. 6. The post of chief veterinary surgeon shall be conferred 
on those first veterinary surgeons who have held that office for at 
least five years. 
Art. 7. The veterinary surgeons may, on account of complaints 
laid against them, or long illness, be temporarily or definitely de- 
prived of their office. Chief and first veterinary surgeons cannot 
be definitely displaced unless the act is sanctioned by us, at the 
instance of our minister of war. 
Art. 8. The nominations to the posts of chief and first veteri- 
nary surgeons to be made by selection. Half the aides to be 
chosen in right of seniority, and the others according to their 
merits. In all these posts the choice can only fall on candidates 
recommended for promotion by the inspectors-general of the army. 
Art. 9. Veterinary surgeons who have been temporarily sus- 
pended from duty for either of the causes specified in Article 7, 
shall still be eligible as candidates for any superior post which 
may become vacant in the regiment or any establishment to which 
they belong. 
Art. 10. No veterinary surgeon shall be admitted or recalled if 
he is too old to complete the term of years claimed by the service, 
nor can he retire on pension before he reaches sixty. 
Art. 11. The first veterinary surgeon ranks immediately after 
the medical men and the etat major of the corps to which he be- 
longs; the aide ranks below the adjutant and sub-officers, and 
above the farrier-major. The offices of first veterinary surgeon, 
aide, and sub-aide, bear no assimilation to any ranks in the regi- 
ments. 
Art. 12. In the order of battle, the post of the first veterinary 
surgeon in the column is to the left of the medical men ; in the ar- 
rangement of the column, the aide and sub-aide march a few paces 
behind the medical men. 
