EDITORIAL. 
341 
tensive alterations in its building. A larger and more comforta¬ 
ble lecture-room has been erected, large rooms for laboratory 
work have been built, and the faculty is now ready to do jus¬ 
tice, for years to come, to their patrons and friends—in any 
case, until the completion of the new building so much talked of. 
By the way, speaking'of this institution, it has been intimated 
that the statements in its last announcement were lacking in 
frankness and candor, and that there was a kind of double 
meaning in the language referring to the requirements for 
graduation. 
Those who know the gentlemen connected with that insti¬ 
tution, and of its honest work for nineteen years, were prompt 
in defence of its honor, and it has been well championed, for 
the American Veterinary College has started a requirement 
of three years’ college attendance, and will enforce it. Both 
the true and pretended, but false friends, of the institution will 
please not forget this. The special charter of the legisla¬ 
ture, in section 5 of chapter 443 of the laws of 1888 has, it is 
true, laid down the power of the Board of Trustees (page 
15 of the announcement), but the faculty has decided to start 
this year on a new departure, and to extend the curriculum 
to three years, dividing the students into classes of the first, 
second and third year, and requiring each student to pass an 
obligatory examination at the end of each respective session 
before he will be allowed to proceed. Which of the two- 
year schools will now be the first to follow? 
Contagious Pleuro-Pneumonia.— The letter which we 
print below, from our esteemed friend, Dr. J. W. Gadsden, 
was received as we were about leaving the city for a short 
vacation, and after the manuscript for our September issue 
had been completed. This must be our excuse for any delay 
in acknowledging its receipt, and in presenting it to our 
readers. We hope that Dr. Gadsden will not suspect us of 
feeling indifferent to his request, and that knowing our ap¬ 
preciation of the importance of the subject upon which he is 
asking for information, he may find in the hands of our col¬ 
leagues all the documents necessary to help him to the solu¬ 
tion of a question which is not only of great importance to 
