591 
THE VETERINARIAN, AUGUST 1, 1869. 
Xe quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.— Ciceko. 
MATRICULATION EXAMINATIONS AT VETERINARY 
COLLEGES. 
After an amount of deliberation which must quite 
exonerate the movement from a suspicion of precipitant 
action, the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary 
Surgeons has taken a decided step in a forward direction in 
reference to the institution of an independent preliminary 
examination at the several veterinary colleges. On July 13th 
a deputation of members of council had an interview with the 
Governors of the Royal Veterinary College, and represented to 
them the desirability of relieving the professors of the school 
of the invidious task which has hitherto devolved upon them, of 
testing the educational qualifications of candidates for admis¬ 
sion into the colleges. Fully admitting the great advantages 
which have accrued from the adoption of the preliminary 
examinations, even as at present conducted, the council, repre¬ 
senting the profession, urged that by confiding the prelimi¬ 
nary test to an independent body, the governors of the several 
colleges would initiate a measure of justice to the professors 
and the students—^^one which would be received with satisfac¬ 
tion by the profession, and which might be expected to pro¬ 
duce the happiest results. The governors, in reply to the 
representations of the deputation, stated that the subject of 
an educational test had been under their consideration for 
some time ; indeed, correspondence had already taken place 
with the College of Preceptors, and that body is prepared to 
undertake the examination of candidates for admission to 
the Royal Veterinary College. 
With this assurance of the intentions of the authorities of 
the London college the council and the profession have every 
reason to be content; and if the other colleges adopt the same 
course the whole question of preliminary examination will be 
