ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 621 
of meddling with the schools^ but left them to reform them¬ 
selves. 
Professor Simonds said their object must he to improve the 
status of the profession by encouraging better educated men 
to enter it. He thought it was quite competent for the 
Council to appoint a deputation to wait upon the authorities 
of the London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Colleges, and to 
take counsel with them as to the best means of improving 
the general education of those who entered the profession. 
This would be a dignified course, quite in accordance with 
the terms of the Charter. He was not satisfied with the 
teachers being the examiners. The responsibility ought to 
he taken from their shoulders. It would be far more satisfac¬ 
tory to know that a Committee, appointed by the College of 
Preceptors or some other independent body, undertook to 
inquire into the attainments of pupils about to enter one of 
the colleges. 
Phe President said he thoroughly approved of Professor 
Simonds’ suggestion. He had in his pocket letters from the 
professors of twm colleges in Scotland to the same effect. 
The Council could not do better than appoint such a de¬ 
putation. 
Mr. Fleming wushed to recall the attention of the Council 
to the point wEich they were first discussing. They ought to 
arrive at some definite conclusion with regard to the notice by 
Mr. Ernes. If three months were allowed to elapse before it 
was known what the alterations were to be, the intervening 
time would be entirely lost; whereas, if the members of the 
Council had three months to think about them, the discussion 
would be more to the point, and time would ultimately be 
saved. 
Mr. Ernes handed in a statement of his views, which he was 
willing to suspend. 
Mr. Fleming said the alterations must be enumerated one 
by one. 
Mr. Ernes said he had no objection to the appointment of 
a deputation. It would be a good start. 
The Secretary then read the report of the Examination 
Inquiry Committee. 
Mr. Ernes said the number of professors in the colleges 
was too small, the time too short, and there was a want of 
classification. The course of training should be divided over 
two or three years, and at the end of each year there should 
be an examination, when those who could not pass might be 
put back for a year. As far as classical education went, he 
was afraid it would prove a failure. 
