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THE EXPEDIENCY OF TESTING PERSONS AS TO 
THEIR QUALIFICATIONS FOR BECOMING 
STUDENTS OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 
By a “ Friend to the Art.” 
To the Editor of “ The Veterinarian .” 
Sir, — BEING a person anxious for the welfare and improvement 
of the veterinary profession (deeming it not the least useful in the 
community), I take the liberty of intruding on your time by soli- 
citing a place in your valuable Periodical for the few following 
lines, the subject of which must appear to all interested in the above 
art to be a sad oversight in the government of the Veterinary 
College. The matter to which I allude is, the easy admission of 
pupils to that establishment without any test being applied to 
prove their previous knowledge. When we look back, and reflect 
on the change that has been effected in the profession within these 
last fifty years, we would say “ nil desperandum but, though 
science has been rapid in this department in endeavours to libe- 
rate the veterinary art from the dark cloud which too long enve- 
loped it, much yet remains to be done to advance it to that posi- 
tion which it ought long ago to have occupied. We speak but 
the truth when we say, that but recently has the profession been 
appreciated so as to bear any analogy to the esteem in which the 
liberal professions are held. Now, though we may not want to 
attribute this altogether to the subject before us, yet we would say 
it has had much to do in retarding the general respectability and 
usefulness of the profession. Let us inquire into the following 
questions : — “ Is the veterinary art a scientific or a literary one, 
or one for which a liberal education is necessary I” In answer to 
which we say, “Most assuredly it is !” “ Is the majority of those 
who practise that art liberally educated, scientific, or literary 
men!” To which we answer, “ Most assuredly, No!” “ Can they, 
without all or some of the above qualifications, fill those stations 
which members of the sister profession do, and to which they would 
possess nearly an equal claim 1” — “ Can their society be courted 
by literary or scientific men I” or, if it were, “ Could they feel 
comfortable in such company ?” The answers are obviously, “ No ! 
unless conversant with literary topics.” It may be said that we are 
going too far when we talk about literary and scientific qualifica- 
tions ; but, of course, we do not mean to apply these terms in their 
full acceptation. It is a rare thing to find such men in bodies ; but 
