VETERINARY EXAMINING COMMITTEE. 363 
At the establishment of the college, such men could not be 
found. Even St. Bel was incompetent, and much more so was 
the present professor at his first appointment. It was necessary, 
however, that there should be an examining committee, and the 
best was selected that could then be obtained. Those, medical 
gentlemen who had so laudably and zealously exerted themselves 
in the foundation of the college, who were familiar with the 
general principles of physiology and pathology, and who were 
comparative anatomists, were requested to assist the professor in 
this important inquisition, and assurance was thus given that no 
ignoramus or mere pretender should disgrace the infant art. 
There seemed, even at that time, to be a feeling that necessity 
alone could justify the appointment of a committee thus con¬ 
stituted, and that medical men were not, and could not be duly 
qualified for the office; for it was determined, that none should 
be selected as examiners who had not delivered, or who were not 
delivering lectures connected with veterinary science. These 
lecturers had liberally and gratuitously opened their theatres to 
the veterinary pupils; they had thus identified themselves with 
the improvement of veterinary science, and in them, in the present 
state of things, both the student and the public could best 
confide. 
Was it, or could it have been imagined that this arrangement 
should be permanent ? Was it contemplated, that, when thirty 
years had elapsed, and veterinary science had considerably ad¬ 
vanced; and, notwithstanding all the lamentable imperfections of 
our education, prejudice could not deny that there were some few, 
at least, who to an accurate acquaintance with the fundamental 
principles of general physiology added a complete knowledge of 
veterinary practice in all its branches— when the necessity 
which gave rise to this incompetent committee had ceased to 
exist; was it, we ask, contemplated that the radical defect of 
the examiners^ board should not be repaired ? Would not com¬ 
mon sense and common justice dictate, that, when they who 
alone were fully qualified to discharge the duties of the situation 
had begun to appear, they should (no, not supersede, but) gra¬ 
dually amalgamate with the others, to whom courtesy and grati- 
