328 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
With the additions which have been made to the educa¬ 
tional machinery at the College we may for the present rest 
content. Bat we are far from believing that all has been 
accomplished which the progressive spirit of the age demands. 
Extension of the period of study at all our veterinary schools 
is a necessity which is gradually becoming more urgent. 
The general education of candidates for admission to the 
veterinary colleges may he fairly expected to keep pace with 
the requirements of the advanced code; but except through 
the medium of the matriculation examination the schools 
have no control in this matter. Considerable pressure, how¬ 
ever, may he brought to bear upon the candidate by the Col¬ 
lege of Preceptors ; and we shall hail with satisfaction the 
announcement that some knowledge of classics will be ex¬ 
pected of the students who present themselves before that 
board. 
Everybody is supposed to be desirous of giving his son an 
education which will aid him in getting on in the world ; 
but we may remind fathers of the rising generation of veteri¬ 
nary surgeons that their object is not necessarily gained, and 
their responsibilities do not cease, when they have paid a 
fair fee to the schoolmaster. With some honorable excep¬ 
tions the education which is given at private irresponsible 
schools is simply disgraceful, and after the discussions which 
have recently taken place on the subject no one in his right 
mind will he sa tisfied with the mere promises of a flourishing 
prospectus without some guarantee such as is afforded by 
the periodical visit of Government inspectors. It is abso¬ 
lutely cruel as well as unjust to send a youth who cannot 
read or write his mother tongue correctly to listen to the, to 
him, unintelligible language of science, and pursue a course 
of study the mysterious technicalities of which embarrass 
him at every step. 
