EDITORIAL. 
99 
treal, the other in Toronto. The public would get better service by having the standard 
raised by making the course one of three sessions, of not less than six months each. The 
bill did not affect those at present in college. 
“ Mr. Rutherford said it was his misfortune, perhaps, to belong to that very much ma¬ 
ligned class, the professional men, who were supposed to live by depredations upon the 
honest farmer. He enjoyed the sympathy and confidence of the farmers in his district. 
He had gained this position, first, by showing that he was competent. If he had robbed 
them by inefficient services his reputation would not stand as high as it did. The member 
for Dennis had evidently not studied the existing act, or he would have seen that the bill 
was really opening the doors to foreign competition. Hitherto the act had been inadver¬ 
tently protective ; but in the bill the words, ‘ Her Majesty’s Dominion ’ were struck out, 
and the door was opened to properly qualified practitioners from the United States and 
other countries. The Veterinary Association and the public of Canada had been at the 
mercy of one man who ran the Ontario Veterinary College, an institution without a matric¬ 
ulation, a light final examination and a very short course, and had made out of it half a 
million dollars. The college in Montreal was in connection with McGill University, and 
was under Dr. McEachran; it had a three-years’ course of study. Mr. Rutherford 
showed the difference between the standing of Canadian medical students and veterinary stu¬ 
dents in England, the former being enabled by a 3 to 6 year [month] course to become 
members of the Royal College of Surgeons, while graduates of the Ontario Veterinary Col¬ 
lege were compelled to matriculate and put in a four years’ course. The bill was simply 
an attempt to raise the standard of veterinary education in Canada. In France, which 
sent out some of the very best veterinary surgeons, there was a seven years’ course ; Ger¬ 
many had a six years’ course ; England a four years’ course ; colleges in New York and 
Chicago a three years’ course ; Harvard and Philadelphia a four years’ course. 
“ Mr. Jonasson thought the bill premature ; the province being still too sparsely set¬ 
tled, so that it was difficult to secure qualified practitioners. 
‘ ‘ Mr. Sirett pointed out a weak point in the bill; the country was already flooded with 
the class of pro r essional men objected to, and under the bill they would be allowed to go 
on ; the result would be to give them a practical monopoly. 
“ Mr. Rutherford replied that these men would die off in time, and their places would 
be filled with properly qualified men. There was, he admitted, some element of reason 
in what the member said, but how could they get over the difficulty ? If the bill should 
have no other effect it would compel the institution in Toronto to add a year to its course 
and raise its curriculum. 
“ The motion was carried.” 
Buffalo.— Never has an approaching meeting of the U. S. V. 
M. A. presented such evidences of wide-spread interest nor borne 
such premonitory symptoms of success as does the coming meet¬ 
ing at Buffalo. On another page will be found a letter from Secre¬ 
tary Gribble, of the Ohio State Veterinary Medical Association, 
giving notice that the Buckeye State will hold their meeting at 
the same time, in the same city, and the New York State 
Society will follow on the 4th and 5th. The local committee, 
having in charge the preparations for the entertainment and 
comfort of the guests, are omitting nothing to have every detail 
as complete as possible, and it is the prediction of all experi¬ 
enced association men that the outlook for a surpassing meeting 
for 1896 is brighter than ever in the history of the National 
