PRESENT STATE OF THE VETERINARY FROFESSION. 379 
much celebrity, whose early education has been neglected, 
or confined merely to the pursuit he has adopted. The man 
unable in the present day to travel beyond his daily avoca¬ 
tions, is but poorly adapted to advance either himself or 
others. And are there not in our profession many so situ¬ 
ated—quite at home in the stable, and anything but so else¬ 
where ? Now, I think, such a state of things, to a great 
extent, is referable to the want of a compulsory examination 
for those entering the profession. I would shut our doors 
to none; open they should be to any of every class and de¬ 
gree, but under the restriction that all should submit to the 
test of having acquired a liberal education. This would 
have the effect of equalising all on their entrance into the 
profession. The man of superior position in society would 
then think it no degradation to associate with him of humbler 
birth, neither would the latter deem himself honoured by 
the former. A liberal education (when not abused) entitles 
its possessor to an honorable <c locus standi’* in the social 
scale. Who, among the aristocratic literati of the present 
day, would not prefer the society of an educated inferior to 
that of an ignorant equal ? All honour to the ambition of 
him who from the humble ranks enters a liberal profession, 
but let him understand that he is ill-suited to ornament it 
if he regard nought else. Some are under the impression 
that it is the profession that raises the man, whereas it is the 
man that raises or degrades his art. Unfortunate is it for the 
liberally educated veterinary surgeon, when thrown into a 
community where alone the ignorant and unscientific have 
held sway, and where the ornaments—and there are many—of 
our art have never been heard of, much less known. He has 
to contend against much before he finds himself in that 
grade of society he is entitled to. The question is, “ Is our 
profession a liberal one or not?” If so, it surely requires its 
members to be liberally educated, so as to enable them to take 
their stand alongside of the other professions. We would 
suggest that all pupils, on their entrance into the College, be 
subjected to a similar—or, if it be thought desirable, at first 
to a less severe—examination to that undergone by pupils of 
the medical and surgical professions. Say, 1st. A written 
theme, to show they possess a correct knowledge of English 
grammar. 2dly. To translate a portion ofVirgil, Horace, Homer, 
the Greek Testament, &c , for who can doubt the advantages 
of a classical knowledge to the medical student? 3dly. A few 
books of Euclid, and of algebra a portion. 4thly. I think 
an acquaintance with French by all means should be required, 
for in the present day a man deficient in this often feels 
