VETERINARY SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 
427 
igricultural colleges have in many States proven the chief 
element in making veterinary science respectable, and have 
rendered it possible for fraudulent veterinarians to exist for a 
;ime in quasi-respectability. We do not hear such bitter de- 
lunciation from broadly educated, gentlemanly veterinarians. 
There are, however, among the better educated of our 
Drofession, many persons who greatly undervalue the impor- 
ance of these schools. 
It is, moreover, unfortunately true that both in the past 
md at present there have been instructors in these schools 
vho have failed in their mission and sent out students with 
iuperficial ideas relating exclusively to “rule of thumb” 
>ractice, differing from charlatanism none in its esential value, 
md having to a certain extent the same immoral and dishonest 
endencies. Some, I believe, have held short courses of a few 
veeks’ duration in veterinary science, and issued thereon 
;ertificates of a character which might prove of use in the 
lands of designing individuals in deceiving the public. But 
he failure of a few instructors to properly perform their 
luties—either through ignorance or design—does not consti- 
ute a proper basis for criticism of the entire body, or the cen- 
ral idea of their work. 
Again, especially in these short courses, in which veterin- 
,ry science forms a conspicuous part, there may occasionally 
rnter designing individuals, who come for the sole purpose 
>f returning to their communities with some cheap notoriety 
nd use their attendance at the short course for advertising 
mrposes. The cheapness, shortness of course, and absence 
>f mental or moral faculties demanded at some of our vet- 
rinary schools, serves, however, to practically eliminate the 
langer in this direction from our agricultural schools. 
On the other hand, many intelligent young men, reared on 
he farm and quite familiar in a general way with domestic 
nimals, entered these schools largely for the purpose of ac- 
uiring an amonnt of veterinary science which would prove 
iseful to them as stock-breeders, especially in localities where 
eterinarians were then unavailable, became unexpectedly—- 
t times almost unconsciously—swerved from their or- 
