ON THE CHARTER. 
417 
as the Council in their by-laws have deemed it wise and prudent 
to prescribe, the latter have it in their power to raise the standard 
of qualification, through examination, to that pitch, and to stretch 
it to that extent, as shall render it most desirable, on the part of 
the students at least, that they — even though advised to the con- 
trary by their teachers — come prepared with such testimonials as 
the Council shall require. And if the Council choose to take 
certain written papers as vouchers for the possession of certain 
kinds of knowledge which it is not convenient for their examining- 
board to enter into the inquiry of, surely it is much easier for the 
student to bring such vouchers with him than to subject himself 
to what might be instituted in lieu of them, viz., a practical 
examination. If the Council, in their by-laws, say to the veteri- 
nary student, “ You must keep four sessions at College,” they say 
so because, as practical men themselves, they know full well that 
in less time the student cannot acquire the requisite amount of 
knowledge to enter into the practice of his profession. Were there 
no such by-law in existence, or, what amounts to the same thing, 
were no respect paid to it, students might, and no doubt would, pre- 
sent themselves as candidates for admission who possessed nothing 
beyond a parrot instruction in question and answer, and who, were 
the examinations to remain such as they at present are — simply 
oral — no doubt would “ pass,” and with eclat. Such a system as 
this, however, could not hold together long ; nor would it answer 
either the Colleges or their pupils to make the experiment. Cer- 
tificateless candidates would have to be put to practical tests : that 
which they might, upon paper, have obtained credit for knowing, 
will now have to be manually tested ; and thus, though the 
examiners may be put to the cost of a little additional time and 
trouble, the candidate will not, most assuredly, in the way he was 
led to expect, be a gainer by it. 
For our own part, we have always been strenuous advocates 
for practical examinations. Either before or after he had, in the 
presence of the court of examiners, answered the several questions 
put to him, we would have the candidate taken to the dissecting- 
room, to the infirmary stable, to the forge; and in each department 
tested as to his real or available knowledge. Then, neither inden- 
ture nor certificate might be cared for ; then, indeed, would the 
master be careful to make his pupil “ qualified to practise” before 
