SITTINGS OF THE COUNCIL. 
469 
We give below copies of the letters of Dr. Knox and Mr. 
Mather, and the copy of minute forwarded by Dr. M'Gregor, 
Secretary to the Edinburgh Board of Examiners, and also the copy 
of the Report from the Sub-committee appointed to inquire into 
charges therein made. 
From Dr. Knox. 
Edinburgh, 29th April, 1846- 
Dear Sir, — I consider it proper, under all circumstances, to report to you, 
for the information of the President and Council of the Royal College of 
Veterinary Surgeons of England, an innovation, as I consider it to be, in the 
mode of electing the Annual Chairman of the Board of Examinators. When 
elected to the chair in 1845, the examinators alone voted. On the present 
occasion, Mr. Dick introduced himself and Mr. Barlow, his demonstrator, as 
ex officio members of the Board, and voted accordingly. 
It is not my part to offer any comment on that proceeding, which appears 
to me altogether irregular, and calculated to re-introduce and to maintain on 
that Board an influence highly injurious to the interests of the profession, an 
influence which the united members of the veterinary profession in England 
and Scotland had employed their utmost efforts to abate or remove. 
I remain, dear Sir, your most obedient servant, 
R. Knox. 
To E. N. Gabriel , Esq. 
From Mr. Mather. 
********* 
Regarding the examinations, twenty-four gentlemen have passed — six have 
been rejected ; but 1 question the legality of the proceeding. Are ex officio 
members entitled to vote for the Chairman ? By their so doing I fear the 
interests of the profession will be lost here. They did not vote last year. The 
examiners were divided into three Boards, and each Board only examined 
one-third part of the students ; viz., ten students each, and finished them all 
in one day at two meetings. 
Can the Examining Board sign their names to the diplomas granted to all 
who passed, when each Board examined only a portion of the candidates ? I 
think the whole of the students ought to pass before all the examiners, so that 
each examiner might be satisfied, as is done in London. 
Your’s truly, 
Thos. Mather. 
E. N. Gabriel , Esq. 
Copy of Minute of the Edinburgh Examining Board. 
Edinburgh, Clyde-street Hall, April 27th, 1846. 
At a meeting of the Examining Board of the Royal College of Veterinary 
Surgeons, held this day, present Dr. Mercer, Dr. Knox, Dr. M‘Gregor, and 
Dr. Lyon, Messrs. Williamson, Tindal, Thompson, Mather, and Rainsforth, 
Veterinary Surgeon to the Army, it was proposed and carried (Professor Dick 
and Mr- Barlow, as ex officio members of the Board, also voting) that the 
election of the President and Secretary should be annual ; whereupon Dr. 
Mercer was elected President, and Dr. M‘Gregor was elected Secretary. The 
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