221 
THE VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
for others to share in that responsibility. They called to their aid 
persons which our Professor could not do—veterinary surgeons. 
We had none; for the veterinary art in our country was then 
sunk into the lowest state of degradation. They called in cer¬ 
tain veterinary surgeons residing in Paris; and they formed what 
they termed a jury, consisting of the two professors and these ve¬ 
terinary practitioners. This jury decided on the competency of the 
pupil, and their examination was always held in public. 
When the experiment had been fairly tried, and the school at 
Alfort was completely established, the case was altered. Instead 
of two professors, eight were appointed. r Ihe responsibility was 
thus sufficiently shared among so many; and there was no farther 
necessity for the jury. The competency of the pupil was now 
decided upon by the professors alone ; but how decided upon ? 
Publicly ;— [hear! hear /] at a meeting at which not only every 
veterinary practitioner might attend, but on which his attendance 
was invited, and at which he might propose what question he 
pleased to the candidate. 
There is no school, sir, in existence* except that at St. Pancras, 
in which the qualifications of the veterinary student are not 
decided upon by veterinarians, and veterinarians alone. Ours is 
the only exception. It is an exception, because we could not 
get better men when the examining committee was appointed. 
It has continued to be the exception, because we felt, and ever 
shall we feel, indebted to the teachers of human medicine for the 
services they have rendered us. 
We wish not, sir, to displace them even now: if we did, we 
should be guilty of that crime which the Professor described as 
including every other—ingratitude. I3ut, although we wish 
not to displace them, we do wish to place our school on a 
level with those of other countries. We wish that it should not 
form the only and most degrading exception in the veterinary 
world. We "hope that, after the College has been established 
thirty-seven years, and practitioners are gone out into every pait 
of the kingdom, it is possible that other gentlemen may be ob¬ 
tained a little more competent than those who, although they 
'are the heads of their own profession, know nothing ol ours; 
a little more competent to examine the veterinary student. 
I am speaking now merely the feelings of an individual; and 
state the ground on which I would rest the claim of the veterinary 
surgeon at the present moment. I would say, there ought to be 
a change—that, 1 believe, is the question ; there ought to be 
a change in the present examining committee. 1 would say, that 
our veterinary institution ought not to be so manifestly and un¬ 
deservedly inferior to other veterinary schools. I would say, that 
it is an indignity —a most unmerited and intolerable indignity, cast 
