THE FRENCH ARMY VETERINARY SURGEONS. 177 
instruction given to the pupils was now to comprise the 
various courses which, under the decree of 1813, composed 
the two classes of instruction. This was effected by hence- 
forth giving to all the pupils that complete medical instruc- 
tion which, under the ancient regime, was reserved for those 
selected pupils alone who were admitted to the course of veteri- 
nary medicine, and by augmenting the depth and extent of their 
studies, and requiring of them a degree of intelligence which could 
only be prepared and developed by far higher previous instruc- 
tion than had formerly been considered as sufficient. This was 
highly inconsistent with the assertion in the rulesof admission, — 
that it was quite sufficient to be able to read and write the French 
language correctly in order to go through courses of instruction 
taught at our schools with success. The proof that such is not 
the case is found in the fact that, out of 949 young men ad- 
mitted into the Alfort school during the fourteen years which 
followed the putting in force of the ordonnance of 1826 and the 
uniting of the conditions of capacity required by the prospectus, 
532 only, viz. but little more than the half of them, succeeding 
in passing through their various studies and obtaining a veteri*- 
nary diploma. Thus, for the last fifteen years, the greater part of 
the young men who have been intended for the college. at Alfort 
have comprehended the necessity of preparing themselves, either 
by pursuing a primary course of superior instruction, or by going 
through the whole, or a portion of their classical studies. For 
example, the following are the statistics of forty military pupils 
at present at the school, at least as concerns the studies which 
they had gone through previously to entering this establishment. 
Two are bachelors of arts. 
Two have a philosophical certificate. 
Five have terminated their rhetoric. 
Eight have taken a second or a third degree in the royal colleges. 
Seven have taken a fourth degree. 
Twelve have gone through special courses of French, mathe- 
matics, geography, and history. 
Four only possess simply the knowledge absolutely required 
by the rules of admission. 
This is the exact state of things as regards the extent of the 
first instruction among the pupils of the Alfort school. This 
explains the obstinate opposition which has been offered to the 
elevation to rank of military veterinary surgeons, which is 
founded on these words, — “ that it is sufficient to be able to 
read and write the French language correctly to enable a man to 
become a veterinary surgeon.” 
One word more on medical studies. I assert, and I do not 
VOL. xvi. 
a a 
