474 J. H. WATTLES. 
With the organization of the several faculties of the vet¬ 
erinary medical colleges of the country in the Association of 
Veterinary Faculties of North America, the fraternity and 
public had every reason to believe that a new era had dawned 
upon our chosen profession, and that while the pathway might 
not be strewn with roses, that the way was clear for our kin¬ 
dred professions to see that we were capable of maintaining 
that rank. 
With solely fraternal and educational objects in view, the 
association of faculties was formally organized in Philadelphia, 
last September, and to those who had the pleasure of attend¬ 
ing that meeting, will always remain a remembrance of the 
kindly spirit in which all of the deliberations were maintained. 
Without acrimony or intemperate language, and with a full 
and generous consideration of the many different conditions 
and surroundings of the several schools, the constitution of 
the association was adopted, and I earnestly believe with lib¬ 
eral ideas on the subject of advanced education, we meet 
again to-day. 
There is no reasonable doubt existing in the mind of any 
impartial and disinterested person of the necessity of a higher 
standard of educational requirement in the matriculation ex¬ 
aminations of our respective students, and we can all see very \ 
plainly, that it is only a matter of a very short time when, 
every college that will be recognized as coming up to the 
standard will have adopted a minimum grade for the admis- 
sion of students. With these points so clearly in view, and 
with the upward and onward tendency of the leaders in our 
profession, and with positive knowledge that different States 
are formulating laws regarding veterinary practice, it seems 
to me to be a rational conclusion that the proper thing for us 1 
to do is to act in the matter at once and not wait until com¬ 
pelled to act, and for ail the colleges of this continent to unite 
with this association in endeavoring to create a certain stand¬ 
ard in the admission of students, in their advancement in their 
respective studies, the length of time they shall be required to 
attend, and their final graduation. 
By having positive rules laid down as to the admission of 
