226 ADJOURNED GENERAL MEETING OF 
Professor Coleman. —Now the second subject for consideration 
is, whether it will be advisable to add three veterinary surgeons 
to the present medical committee, or to have a separate vete¬ 
rinary examining committee of six, with the Professor and As¬ 
sistant-professor. 
Before this question is discussed, I wish merely to repeat 
what I before stated with respect to this point. The only ob¬ 
jection I have heard raised to it was, that it would appear as if 
there was some degree of indignity, or at least a want of suf¬ 
ficient dignity, in having a separate veterinary committee; that it 
would be, on the part of veterinarians, acknowledging an infe¬ 
rior rank to the medical profession. You will recollect that I 
mentioned some facts to shew, that, whatever opinion we may 
have of ourselves, the world would for ever consider a shade 
higher in rank those who attended to human beings than those 
who attend to horses. At the same time, I could not conceive 
how it could be considered a degradation. The Professor and 
Assistant-professor would, I suppose, have a place in this com¬ 
mittee ; and it would have two things to recommend it: you 
would have six instead of three, and the talents and knowledge 
of six are surely preferable to three:—that would of itself be 
an improvement. But there is another recommendation, which 
is, the greater probability of your being able to carry that than 
the other. Whatever you may think proper to do in the shape 
of a memorial, I shall do all 1 can to carry it forward. But the 
separate committee has been sanctioned, approved of, and re¬ 
commended by the medical committee; I think, therefore, there 
is a greater probability of your carrying that point than there is 
of carrying the other. Whether you would think proper to try 
the one first, and, if it failed, then to try the second, will be for 
you to decide : my object is to do as much as I possibly can, 
with the view of complying with your wishes. [ Cheers .] Of 
course, I should recommend that which is probable and prac¬ 
ticable in preference to that which is improbable. If you think 
proper to say, it is most advisable that three shall be added to 
the medical committee, that may be tried ; if it fail, you can try 
the other. I mentioned also on Wednesday, which it is proper 
for me to repeat here, that there has been a mistake with respect 
to the understanding of how the examinations were to be con¬ 
ducted. It was said, that the medical committee, being to 
examine the pupils before the other, there would be no compul¬ 
sion on the part of the pupil to attend the other committee, and 
that, therefore, he might not choose to be examined a second 
time, it being perfectly optional. That was not the thing in¬ 
tended it was intended that they should be first examined by 
