458 
ANNUAL MEETING. 
Veterinary Surgeons might institute any form of examination 
they thought proper, and, prior to examining a pupil or a 
candidate with regard to scientific attainments, they might, 
if they thought well, examine him with regard to his scho¬ 
lastic acquirements, but it was a system, which could hardly 
practically be carried out. Therefore it was most advisable 
that it should associate itself with the authorities of the 
teaching colleges, and that the authorities of those schools, 
yielding to the wishes of this College, should institute a 
substantial, reliable, preliminary examination as to education 
(applause); and that that examination, instead of being, as 
it had heretofore been, conducted by the teachers of the 
schools, should be conducted by an independent body. That 
could only be done by a proper understanding between this 
corporate body and the authorities of the respective teaching 
schools. (Hear, hear.) No doubt in process of time such 
an object would be effected. With regard to the Court of 
Examiners itself, it was said that the time had not yet arrived 
when the College could dispense with the prop and pillar of 
support wEich it had availed itself of since its commence¬ 
ment, but surely men could now be found wdthin the body 
of the profession who Avere competent to determine as to the 
qualificatioiis of a candidate for the diploma of the College. 
He would be the very last to advocate the removal from the 
Court of Examiners of any of those gentlemen who had so 
ably supported them at the physiological, chemical, and 
materia medica tables, but, at the same time, he would say 
that, so long as the pillar of support remained bound to the 
tree, so long would it require its aid. Remove it, and the 
winds might blow and it might yield to some extent, but its 
roots would become strengthened by virtue of its self-sup¬ 
porting power, and then you could throw off the extraneous 
aid. (Loud applause.) No more, then, would he admit 
members foreign to their body after this period to the Court 
of Examiners. He thought that the first members of the 
Court to be dispensed with were those who examined on 
physiology and anatomy. As to chemistry and materia 
medica, the probability was that it would be a longer period 
before the services of such gentlemen as were now examining 
upon those could be dispensed wdth. Then as regarded 
teachers being examiners, this was a tale that had been ten 
times told. It was well known that he, in common wdth 
some of his colleagues wdiom he saw around him, exerted 
himself in the very first instance for the obtainment of the 
Charter which they now possessed; he was a member of the 
provisional committee for that purpose. A clause was in- 
