456 
THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
Professor Dick. At a meeting of that body, on Tuesday last (8th 
July), I was in my place as member, when Burn Murdoch, Esq., 
President of the Veterinary College Committee of the Highland 
Society, rose to disavow, on its part, any approval of the represen- 
tation given in the report of the Royal College of Veterinary Sur- 
geons, which he farther stated was quite inaccurate. Mr. Murdoch 
added, that it was Professor Dick, not the Directors of the High- 
land Society, who had secured for his pupils a course of lectures on 
chemistry; and that there never had been any difference of opinion 
between them and him as to the desirableness of having that sub- 
ject taught. 
There is another statement in the report to which I wish to make 
a slight reference. From the way in which the medal of the 
Highland Society is referred to, in connexion with the assertion as 
to Professor Dick already discussed, a reader not otherwise in- 
formed on the subject cannot fail to draw the conclusion, that, as 
the pupils of the Edinburgh Veterinary College were unwillingly 
taught chemistry, so they were left by their teacher without any 
encouragement in the way of premiums to study that science ; and 
that the Highland Society stepped in to supply the deficiency. I do 
not blame the council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons 
as a body, because such a representation of matters has been given; 
but their Secretary, at least, knew that it was a very unjust one. 
The Highland Society’s medal was only announced on the day of ex- 
amination. No anticipation of such a thing being given existed on 
the part of the members of the class : it supplied, therefore, no mo- 
tive to exertion on their part, and the competition was, in the end, 
open only to the candidates for diplomas, who did not form more 
than a third of the class. The latter was not left, however, without 
inducements to exertion. Two silver medals, of the same value as 
those of the Highland Society, were offered for competition to the 
whole class. The one for the best answers to a series of questions, 
in writing, on inorganic and organic chemistry ; the other, for the 
best essay on the “ Connexion between chemistry and the veterinary 
art.” Three Essays were given in, and they were so good, that con- 
siderable difficulty was experienced in deciding which was best. 
Ultimately, prizes were given to the authors of all of them ; and I 
availed myself of the assistance of the chemical examiner (Mr. 
McGregor) appointed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons 
in settling which of the essays deserved the medal. He spontane- 
ously expressed his satisfaction with the papers placed in his hands, 
as evidences of knowledge and ability, and the Essays were laid on 
the table at the close of the examination. The medals, which Mr. 
Gabriel had more than once in his hands, were ultimately presented 
by Dr. Knox to the successful students, in the presence of all the 
