REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 
345 
But it would appear that diplomas of more weight are desirable 
than those given by a Board of Examiners exclusively composed 
of “ practising veterinary surgeons, however respectable the same 
remark, then, would apply to diplomas granted by the Royal Col- 
lege of Physicians and by the Royal College of Surgeons, as well 
as to the certificates given by the legal bodies ; for in either of 
these cases we find no higher authorities had recourse to than the 
practising members of the respective professions ; but your Board 
of Examiners is not so constituted : for it is felt but too keenly — 
would that the feeling was met with in quarters where it is most 
needed — that veterinary science has not yet taken, although it 
is now taking, its proper position in public opinion, and therefore 
the aid of science and medicine has been had recourse to. The 
name of Professor Brande, your Council presume, is not altogether 
unknown in the scientific world — the names of Dr. George Bab- 
ington, Bransby Cooper, and Robert Liston may, it is believed, be 
met with in the records of those contributing to and ornamenting 
the medical and surgical professions ; and while combined with 
these are the most scientific and popular veterinary authors of the 
age, William Percivall, James Turner, and William Field, your 
Examining Board may correct the error of its consisting only of 
practising veterinary surgeons. 
You will observe, that in the reply of the Council a strong feel- 
ing is manifested to meet the wishes of all parties, as far as certain 
alterations in the Bye-Laws of the College can be made to do so ; 
and a notice of proposed alterations has actually been suspended 
for months with this object in view. It must be most clearly un- 
derstood, however, that the proposed alterations are delayed only 
in order to learn the wishes of the opposing parties, and to ascer- 
tain how far it is possible consistently to meet them. 
But the Funds of the College — the mainstay of its welfare, and 
support, without which no institution can be maintained, no great 
public good can be carried out — this is, indeed, a sore topic for 
your Council to touch on. Had it not been for the liberality of a 
few, and among those an enthusiastic admirer but not a member 
of our profession, Capt. Randall, the necessary expenses up to the 
present time could not have been defrayed. Numbers of veteri- 
nary surgeons, and some of them, too, standing high and holding 
public appointments, whose names ought to be foremost in any 
onward progress of our professional condition, have not given one 
farthing towards even defraying the expenses of obtaining the Char- 
ter itself, much less towards enabling that Charter to be worked out 
in all its efficiency. Why are we assembled here to-day ? Why 
have we not met in our own institution, or at any rate in offices 
bearing our own name? The answer is too evident — the state of 
our funds. And why is this ? Your Council cannot believe that it 
