596 
THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
into force until after January 1st, 1848, at least such is the con- 
struction I put upon them — a construction so obvious, that when I 
asserted such to be the case, the Council found so much difficulty 
in interpreting the laws they themselves had made, that they were 
under the necessity of consulting a lawyer as to their meaning. 
The Examiners, however, considering Mr. Gabriel to be wrong, 
examined the students in question, and passed them all ; not only 
so, but two of the four were awarded prizes for chemistry. Thus 
it will be seen, that the Council are more anxious to throw ob- 
stacles in the way of young men becoming members of the pro- 
fession than, with all their pretended anxiety, to secure the proper 
education of the students; indeed, from first to last, the object of 
the promoters of the Charter, and the Council, which is formed of 
its promoters, has been to attempt to establish a professional mo- 
nopoly, by asking to obtain a Charter with the ulterior view of 
afterwards applying to Parliament for certain exclusive privileges, 
which their whole conduct shews they would prefer to the charter 
of knowledge. 
In regard to the medals about which Dr. Mercer and Mr. Ga- 
briel are at variance, it will, perhaps, settle the dispute when I 
state, there were two given for proficiency in chemistry, beside 
those awarded by Dr. Wilson, and one of them was given by 
me. If Mr. Gabriel had taken correct notes, and given a correct 
report of the examinations to the Council, there would have been no 
necessity for Dr. Wilson’s letter ; and I do think he had no excuse 
for being ignorant of the fact, that Dr. Wilson was appointed to 
give a course of lectures to the veterinary students last session, as 
it was advertised both in English, Irish, and Scotch newspapers, 
and also in The VETERINARIAN, last year, long before the session 
commenced. 
But the reporters go on to ask Dr. Mercer, whether he thinks 
they “do not know what an examination ought to be?” and 
whether they “ are not capable of expressing with truth that 
which they both saw and heard?” and I take the liberty of stating, 
that whatever Dr. Mercer may say or think they are “ capable ” 
of doing, I have no hesitation in saying, that they have not told 
the truth when they swear to a third part being the whole. It 
matters not to me whether the reporters have done what they 
have from “ malice or design.” I think I can prove that it has 
been from something like both, if called on to do so. But I have 
said enough at present; and, in conclusion, as they have challenged 
Dr. Mercer to bring the students before the Council to be re-ex- 
amined, I now offer to test their qualifications before any set of 
impartial judges, pitting three of those “ ignorant ” students against 
the three learned reporters. I will meet them at York, which is 
