222 LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
Of late years a preliminary educational examination has been 
instituted at the veterinary colleges previously to the admission of 
a student. This examination, which at first was little more than 
formal, it is, I believe, the intention of those in authority to 
gradually increase in severity until a certain point is attained. Of 
course it is not necessary for those who hold certificates of exami¬ 
nation such as “ the Oxford or Cambridge local/’ to subject them¬ 
selves to the preliminary examinations at the colleges. This 
institution has done good by preventing some few entering upon a 
study for which they w r ere little or not at all prepared, and who 
would, had they been admitted to the college, have spent both 
time and money to little or no purpose. 
Since the appointment of Professor Simonds as Principal of the 
Eoyal Veterinary College the period of collegiate study has 
been lengthened, and great and material changes have taken place, 
not only in the general routine and daily instructions, but also in 
the subjects lectured upon. In addition to the subjects previously 
lectured upon/botany as relating tohnedicine has been introduced, 
and this is accompanied by field excursions during the summer 
session. The addition of botanical lectures will be of great 
service to the veterinary student during his collegiate study, and 
the knowledge thus gained will be appreciated in after years, 
especially by those whose fortunes lead them to practise in the 
country. Professor Cobbold, a most eminent man, has been 
appointed to the chair of botany. Besides his lectures on this 
subject he gives a series of lectures upon a very important branch 
of veterinary pathology, namely, parasitic diseases. These two 
subjects, having a special relation to each other, render the learned 
professor’s lectures at the same time most interesting and 
edifying. 
With the extension of the period of study at the Eoyal Veteri¬ 
nary College there has also been an increase in the number of 
subjects to be studied, so that I do not see that much advan¬ 
tage will accrue to the student by such extension of time. Pre¬ 
viously to the increase of subjects there was not sufficient time 
for a student to thoroughly investigate and master the whole 
of the subjects then lectured upon, and I fear the late extension 
of time together with a corresponding increase in the number of 
subjects will only leave the student in much the same position 
he was in before, with this exception, that he would have a certain 
knowledge of botany and parasitic diseases which he would— 
under other circumstances — perhaps not have acquired. Is 
it possible for a student to investigate and make him¬ 
self thoroughly acquainted with the subjects of anatomy, 
physiology, and pathology of the horse and other domesticated 
animals ; chemistry, materia medica and therapeutics; botany 
