40 ABUSES AT THE ENGLISH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
morning, was ever posted in the theatre or elsewhere ; and the stu- 
dents wandered about, uncertain what was to become of them. No 
public notice was ever given respecting operations, but the circum- 
stance was merely mentioned to a few with whom the Professors 
happened to come in contact, and the rest, not being at the College, 
because they were not certain that there would be any thing worth 
going for, knew nothing about it. Then, again, the Professor was 
often a quarter or half an hour over his time when he did lecture. 
If such things as these were to take place at the hospitals, the stu- 
dents there would not put up with the insult ; nor would they here, 
had they one spark of independence about them : but I know well 
they dare not speak, for they would be marked as black sheep, 
and, knowing this, I thus speak out for them. 
Another thing is, the bad regulations in the dissecting-rooms. 
It is well known that during the last session but little dissection 
took place, and they who were somewhat more industrious than the 
rest were annoyed by a lot of idle, dissolute young men, who 
seemed to have no other motive in attending there than to kick up 
a row, and annoy others that were not like themselves. One sti- 
mulus to good dissections would be the awarding of prizes for the 
best anatomical preparations ; but here nothing of the sort is offered 
— not even a certificate of merit for constant attendance in the dis- 
secting-room : in short, there is not a single prize offered to the 
students by the College for any thing. 
There is very much wanted at the College, near the dissecting- 
room, a sort of reading-room, where many a spare moment might 
be spent ; but there is nothing of the sort ; and the consequence is, 
much time is spent in the annoyance of others in the dissecting- 
rooms. 
A bell would also be very useful to announce the hour of lecture, 
as often, while dissecting, the time passes by, and the lecturers are 
interrupted by late attendance. A clock in the dissecting-room, 
perhaps, would be a substitute for the bell. 
There is also a very necessary article wanted as an appendage 
to the College, the present one being a dirty and disgusting place, 
and frequented indiscriminately by the grooms : but not so with 
the Professors — theirs are locked up. 
One thing I reluctant^ touch upon, and that is, the Medical 
Examiners. On this point I am, like every one else, thankful for 
their past services to the veterinary profession : but I cannot help 
thinking their services could now be readily dispensed with ; for 
I think that it would be a disgrace to the profession if there were 
not a sufficient number of veterinary surgeons competent to that 
task without their assistance. I know that it is thought by some 
persons, that, if veterinary surgeons were examiners, they would 
