480 
.ON VETERINARY DIPLOMAS*. 
Of the last of you I knoiv a little : he has boldly and judici¬ 
ously, considering the situation in which he was placed, brought 
his claim as a lecturer before the tribunal of the veterinary and me¬ 
dical world—he is connected with the first medical and general 
school in the empire—his pupils compete for the honours of that 
school, and the examination is conducted by competent judges; 
liis plea cannot well be refused : and yet, gentlemen, it is only 
under peculiar circumstances, and circumstances which you 
might powerfully assist in changing, that I can bring myself to 
wish either of you success. 
If one school possesses this privilege, I frankly confess that it 
should be extended to schools like yours; reason—equity de¬ 
mand it: but it is a bad principle that you are endeavouring 
more widely to establish. It is one that is totally inconsistent 
with the growing reputation of our art; it is fraught with the 
most injurious consequences. 
It is a bad principle that the teachers should have any thing 
to do with the granting of diplomas. Teachers are but men; 
and they are no more exempt from favouritism and prejudice 
than others. There are more ways to curry favour with them 
than an honest, uncompromising search after truth. The pupil 
knows this well in all the establishments where the teacher has 
any thing to do with the diploma; he sees how it fares with his 
companions, and he labours far more to make himself acquainted 
with the peculiar sentiments, and even errors, of his master, than 
to devote the most important years of his life to the acquirement 
of sound and sterling principles of practice. The veterinary 
world can never be protected from incompetent practitioners— 
veterinary science can never progress as its friends wish that it 
should, while the teachers have any thing to do with the grant¬ 
ing of the diplomas. 
I endeavour to place myself in your situation, and then I ask 
what course should I pursue; and that brings me to a mere mat¬ 
ter of calculation. Have you any chance of effecting that change 
which is most to be desired in this matter ? Could you obtain 
the appointment of a certain number of veterinary surgeons, se¬ 
lected from the general body, with this proviso only— that they 
shall he iincoiniected with any school —and who should constitute 
a board of examiners, before whom students, in whatever school 
educated, should be required to appear prior to their commence¬ 
ment of practice ? Could you have one of these boards for the 
north and another for the south of the Tweed ? You best know 
what probability there would be of this—perhaps not much in 
the present state of things; and yet I cannot help thinking, that 
you should have tried, and publicly tried, to effect this, before 
you claimed that which, although a matter of fairness and jus- 
