176 THE FRENCH ARMY VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
tinued to be distinguished until 1813. An imperial decree then 
established two classes of veterinarians, — they who had studied at 
the schools only three years, and to whom was given the title of 
marechaux-veterinaires ; and they who had devoted themselves to 
studies of a superior kind, who were compelled to remain at the 
school five years, and who were called medecins-veterinaires . 
In 1826 a royal ordinance, and which has been continued to 
the present day, exacted four years of study from the pupil, and 
recognized but one title for all veterinary men. Nevertheless, 
they continued generally in the cavalry to be designated by the 
term artistes , and which has considerably injured the reputation 
of these officers, by encouraging the ill-founded supposition that 
the veterinary surgeons of the present day are the same in cha- 
racter and in rank as the " artistes veterinaires of 1795.” 
We will now inquire whether, under all these designations, the 
instruction underwent any change. 
Every one knows what the maitres marechaux once were. 
They were farriers, the greater part of whom could scarcely read 
or write. So late as the year 1813, it is well known that, before 
a student could be admitted, he was examined as to his capability 
to read and to write passably. A certain number, however, of 
the better class of students, after having obtained the diploma 
of marechal velerinaire at Lyons, or at Alfort, were at the end 
of three years admitted to study two additional years, in order to 
obtain that of mtdecin-vettrinaire. With the exception of these 
and a few others, the generality of those who exercised the vete- 
rinary art, although, perhaps, a little better acquainted with the 
medical art than the old marechaux-experts , yet could only be 
considered as a most illiterate class of men. 
If to this we add, that the greater part of these men, when in 
the exercise of their profession, retained, to a greater or less de- 
gree, the gross habits which, from the want of a good education, 
they had contracted in their youth, it will be readily compre- 
hended that they, on the one hand, were annoyed by the hauteur 
with which they were regarded by the officers of their corps ; 
and, on the other hand, because in the actual improvement of the 
veterinary art the government did not think it requisite either to 
ameliorate their position or to elevate their rank. 
The royal ordon nance of 1826 terminated to a considerable 
degree their state of degradation. It is true, the conditions of 
their being admitted into the cavalry service were appa- 
rently unchanged, but the pupils were compelled to carry to 
the school a degree of knowledge far superior to that which 
had been previously required. In fact, two degrees of in- 
struction were created at Alfort by the decree of 1813, The 
