148 
LETTER FROM MR, J. ROALFE COX, M.R.C.V.S. 
Dear Sir, —Will you do me the favour to find a corner in the 
next issue of The Veterinarian for the following few remarks. 
First, I am desirous of intimating to the profession that no 
diminution of interest in its welfare, has caused me to he absent 
of late from some of the meetings of Council, the explanation 
being my weakened health requiring prolonged rest. I had 
quite hoped to have attended the last Quarterly Meeting, where 
I should certainly have urged dissent from the decision which 
was arrived at in respect of the educational test for candidates 
for the Fellowship degree, as I have learnt with regret from the 
proof sheet of the proceedings which has come before me in 
exercise of my function as a member of the publishing committee, 
that which I believe to have been a serious digression from the 
original intention. 
I believed the design in establishing a higher degree was to 
insure the stamp of genuine metal in such representatives of our 
body; and I think it cannot hut be acknowledged, a humiliating 
reflection how a discerning public may infer to the disadvantage 
of members of our profession, holding the lower qualification 
when for the higher (the Fellowship) the standard is comprised 
in the following requirements :— 
Firstly.—Such knowledge of Latin as to write a Latin pre¬ 
scription, and translate a prescription from Latin (assuredly but 
a mean test of proficiency and barely a guarantee of ability to 
construe an independent line of Latin composition). 
Secondly.—Such acquaintance with ordinary rules of arithmetic 
as necessary for carrying on the business of a veterinary surgeon, 
and for which probably the capacity for casting up the columns 
of his ledger and his bills might suffice. 
Thirdly.—Iu writing a composition, or a letter, or a given sub¬ 
ject, with correctness and facility of expression and grammatical 
accuracy, for which and the foregoing educational attainments 
the school board now-a-days can scarcely fail to qualify. There¬ 
fore, may we hope to have all Fellows in the future, and if so 
may I ask cui bono ? and what gain to the profession or to the 
public, may be expected to result from the distinction of the 
second degree ? I hope sincerely, in making these observations, 
which I conceive to be a duty, whilst an enforced absentee jpro 
tern from my post, I may have urged nothing to assail the sensi¬ 
tiveness of any, and my desire to help and not to hinder the good 
of our profession has alone prompted me to trespass on your 
space and your readers’ notice. Yours’ faithfully, 
114, Mount-street, J. Roalfe Cox. 
London, 
