OBSERVATIONS ON MEDICAL EDUCATION. 
339 
presuming either to interfere or to seek indemnification, unless 
the latter thinks that his horse was not glandered : he then may 
call in other veterinarians; should whose opinion happen to be 
in his favour, then the veterinary surgeon who had his horse 
destroyed will have to reimburse him for his loss. Owing to this 
severe law, glanders and farcy are rare diseases in Denmark. 
The remainder of this portion of these interesting “ Documents” 
is devoted principally to the aptitudes of Denmark as a source 
whence France can draw remounts for her cavalry, and to the dif- 
ferent descriptions of horses found in the Danish provinces and 
islands. We shall watch for the succeeding papers. 
Extracts from Domestic Journals. 
OBSERVATIONS ON MEDICAL EDUCATION. 
By Dr. Golding Bird, as contained in his Annual Oration to 
the Medical Society of London. 
[From “ The Lancet.”] 
It has always appeared to me that all these difficulties would 
be met by making but one portal to the profession, through which all 
must enter who wish to join its ranks ; and the first means of effect- 
ing this must be by doing away with (what, I believe, is already 
nearly practically abolished) the odious and absurd system of five 
years’ apprenticeship, or rather waste, of the most valuable years 
of a man’s life; an exaction which cuts dangerously in two direc- 
tions, causing a lad to be taken from school before his mind is fully 
developed, and curtailing, on the other hand, the number of years 
which might and ought to be devoted to the proper and well-di- 
rected study of his profession. I anxiously look forward to the 
time when some one qualified for this difficult task shall develop 
a plan which will present this great advantage of opening one 
general door to our profession. If all students, when commencing 
their career, were to spend a given time in becoming well ac- 
quainted with all the branches of their profession, and, at a certain 
period, all undergoing the same examination, and receiving the 
same license, a great good would be gained. Then, such as, from 
inclination or other causes, wish to devote themselves specially to 
one branch of the profession, could do so with far greater advantage 
