702 
EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
said to be as superior to mine as the diamond is to impure 
charcoal, — -with iclat too — and that with scarcely an hour’s 
intervening study, then I am sure people will not think 
me vain of my diploma, — believing no other proof necessary 
of my right to style myself veterinary surgeon, and jealous 
if any one should think I have not justly earned it. I am 
scarcely inclined to credit the assertion made by the Secretary 
of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Veterinarian , page 
6 18, when he says that, “every year several of the pupils of 
the Scotch school were at the expense and labour of obtain- 
ing the diploma of the college after having received Professor 
Dick’s certificate.” To my certain knowledge the money is 
paid, but as to the “ labour,” that is never thought of ; indeed, 
before I left the Edinburgh college the move had become 
well known, and the most careless student was always con- 
soled with the thought, when he looked forward to a rigorous 
examination, that if he failed at that college he was sure 
of passing at the other, in a few days after, by paying his 
money. 
I remember the time, whilst residing in Scotland, of sub- 
scriptions being got up, expenses incurred and paid, and 
labours cheerfully entered upon by members of the Edinburgh 
Veterinary College, to assist in obtaining a charter ; and how 
have they been repaid for their services ? Why, in the 
manner I have described ; and in the council of the Royal 
College of Veterinary Surgeons, not a word is heard of these 
men, for with the exception of two or three gentlemen, all 
the members of that body are selfishly envious of the 
reputation of a class of men, who, though silent, are never- 
theless watchful, and may yet put to the blush those who 
seem their persecutors. 
People who speak so enthusiastically of the advancement 
of veterinary science, and give such sage advice — to be up 
and doing , only mock themselves when, immediately after- 
wards, they are found undermining that science by attempting 
to blast one of its strongholds, and sweeping off in cuttting 
sarcasm its supporters and defenders. 
I know many of your readers will be somewhat astonished 
at my boldness, in thus contributing to the time-honoured. 
pages of the Veterinarian , for the first time, but I think the 
subject, if properly viewed by an impartial looker on, will be 
found no trivial one ; if it is only considered what an amount 
of harm is done to the profession by the total exclusion, nay, 
worse, the desire to put out of the lists altogether, — because 
they believe one well earned diploma sufficient, — of a class of 
practitioners not a whit inferior to any others, as widely 
