ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 365 
gathering which was hoped for, while some have said, in 
the grumbling characteristic spirit of Englishmen, cannot 
we do without the countenance of the rich and noble of 
the land ; of what use are they to us ? We answer, 
much every way : firstly, we profess to be loyal and 
dutiful subjects of our gracious Queen — the patron of 
our own schools — secondly , it is to the patronage of the 
rich and noble we have to look for much of our support. 
Servility we despise; nor is it at all demanded of us in 
the pursuit of our calling ; but presumption is equally and 
even more despicable. Respect is due to all; and honour, 
we are told, to give 66 to whom honour is due and we 
are sure that he who thus comports himself, will, in the 
end, reap his reward. 
But take the converse of this, and let there be a purely 
veterinary dinner, and what is the result? From these our 
friends keep away altogether, and the numbers are still less 
than before : the present is the age of complaining, and such 
is the perverse and contradictory spirit of human nature, 
that it always runs from one extreme to the other. Again 
w r e ask, what is to be done so as to meet this growing 
evil? We pause for a reply. 
Abstract of the Proceedings of the Council of the Royal College 
of Veterinary Surgeons , during the year 1855-6. 
It is gratifying to be able to state that, during the past 
year, the events have been of an ordinary and tranquil nature; 
no incidents having occurred to cause either anxiety or trouble 
to the Council or the profession at large. Taking advantage 
of this state of affairs, your Council thought the time had 
arrived when some means should be adopted to overcome 
the differences which had so long existed between the body 
corporate and the Edinburgh School, and it was deemed 
desirable that some conciliatory measures should be adopted 
to secure so important an object. 
A Special Meeting was therefore duly convened, the re- 
quired notice having been suspended during the prescribed 
period, and a long and deliberate discussion which took place 
resulted in the following resolutions : firstly, that the Ex- 
amination Fee should be reduced from ten guineas to seven ; 
secondly, that the Board of Examiners for Edinburgh should 
be remodelled. Professor Dick being consulted as to the 
new appointments ; and thirdly, that steps should be taken 
to admit into the body corporate those persons who had pre- 
viously passed Professor Dick’s Board, or as it was stated to 
XXIX. 47 
