THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
525 
fession or affording greater advantages to the students than has 
been offered here — I say nothing of the advantages my students 
have had here in regard to the science of agriculture, which the 
veterinary students in London do not possess ; but I must say 
that, whatever may be the “ grievous state of veterinary education 
in the north,” it, at least, ill becomes the Council of the Royal Col- 
lege of Veterinary Surgeons, or the meeting of the profession in 
Glasgow, to make any complaint, seeing they have done so little 
towards removing any grievance which may exist, but to which 
they, as yet, have not given a name. 
At the examinations which took place in London immediately 
after those here of 1844, the Report states, “ the Board would have 
been well pleased to have reported equally favourably of the divi- 
sion of Cattle Pathology as of the others preceding it. On all 
other points, however, the pupils passed a far better and more ex- 
tended examination than their confreres in the north.” There is 
an old adage which says “ comparisons are odious,” and I would 
add — sometimes dangerous. But if, according to the report of the 
Deputation which attended here, “ there were no examinations on 
Chemistry — none on Materia Medica — none on Physiology — none 
on Cattle Pathology that deserved the name,” and if the London 
pupils passed any examination at all on the first three points, it 
must be obvious that, however small and meagre that examination 
might be, they, of course, must have passed a far better and far 
more extended one than none at all. But, if there was no exa- 
mination on the diseases of cattle here which deserved the name , 
what name does the examination at London deserve 1 And see- 
ing that those examinations which do not deserve a name are 
allowed to have been better on that point than those in London, 
and seeing that the students were not examined at all on the 
other points, which was not their blame, it follows, by the shew- 
ing of the Report, that if they had been more fully examined 
they would have distinguished themselves above their confreres 
in the south. 
I must here observe, that in the paragraph on which I am 
commenting it is stated that “ the Board would have been well 
pleased to have reported,” &c. ; but as the Deputation was 
only here, it must be held that it is they who report and draw 
the comparison; and they state that, “on all other points,” ex- 
cept cattle pathology, the pupils passed a far better examina- 
tion than their confreres in the north. Now, if the examination 
undergone by the pupil gives any indication of the instruction 
he has received ; and if, where there were “ no examinations on 
the diseases of cattle that deserved the name,” which I understand 
to mean that the Examiners did not question the pupils minutely 
