136 
EDITORIAL. 
graduate of one of the French schools has to submit himself to 
an oral, a written and two practical examinations, besides the pro¬ 
duction of specific documents about his general civil condition 
and aptitude. The examinations are quite difficult and compli¬ 
cated, judging by the programme which is before me, but, of 
course, the questions are put to men who are recent graduates, 
and, therefore, the answers must be comparatively easy to give. 
* 
* * 
To complete these remarks on Saumur, I have asked Veterin¬ 
ary Colonel Jacoulet, the president of the Societe Centrale and 
late chief veterinarian of the French army, and also Colonel Bar¬ 
rier, his successor, some information on the recruiting and the 
organization of the veterinary corps in France. 
Flere they are resumed : Military veterinarians are recruited 
by competition among the young graduates from the French 
veterinary schools. 
Admitted after their examination and received as probation¬ 
ary veterinarians, they enter Saumur only after serving one year 
as private in a cavalry regiment, after which they come to the 
School of Cavalry and stay eleven months. They do not live in 
the school. 
At the expiration of their time at Saumur, they are obliged 
to give one month more in Paris to be initiated to the work of 
meat inspection. 
After that they are sent in regiments as assistant veterinary 
(aides veterinaires) or sub-lieutenants. 
After two complete years, day for day, they are promoted sec¬ 
ond veterinarians, assimilated to the rank of lieutenant. 
The rank of first veterinarian, assimilated to the rank of cap¬ 
tain, is obtained one-third by selection and two-thirds according 
to the seniority, after nine or ten years of duty in the preceding 
rank. That of major veterinarian is given to half by selection 
and one-half by seniority. It is obtained only after eight or ten 
years of duty as first veterinarian. 
The principal veterinarian of second class, assimilated to the 
