LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 293 
the future of the profession is strengthened by the appointment 
of one who so well and deservedly stands high in the opinion, 
not only of veterinary surgeons, but of the agriculturists of this 
country. 
Whilst on the subject of appointments, I cannot resist express¬ 
ing the satisfaction I feel at the election of Professor Elower, 
Curator of the Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons, as an 
examiner in anatomy, in place of Professor Ellis, whose resigna¬ 
tion had been accepted by the Council. I was not present when 
the question “ whether the examiners ought to be elected from 
members of our own profession ” was discussed at the August meet¬ 
ing of this Association, or my voice would have been raised in its 
support, even had it been unsupported. Since then I have read 
in the Veterinarian the arguments pro and con , and allowing, as 
every one must, the ability and force adduced in support of the 
proposition, the conviction remaining on my mind that the vete¬ 
rinary profession receives honour and status from its allegiance 
with medical examiners. I feel that an apology is due to those 
members who, at the discussion of the question in this Hall, 
advocated opposite views; and I trust they will pardon the liberty 
I have taken in reintroducing the subject. 
Before another session at the Colleges is inaugurated, it is to 
be desired that the recently proposed alteration of the byelaws 
relating to the examinations will have been confirmed, and that 
the authorities of the various schools will have introduced such 
changes in their curricula of instruction as may be required for 
the students to reap the full benefits conferred by the proposed 
amendments. The alterations are indicative of advancement, and 
their principles accord with the desires of the best wishers of the 
profession, as being potent means for making veterinary surgeons 
of higher class; a better way, in my opinion, of decreasing the 
rule of charlatanism than a dozen prohibitory Acts of Parliament. 
The charges, too, will tend to lighten the labours of the student. 
In this age of telegraphic existence there is of necessity an amount 
of crowding which the requirements of bygone times did not de¬ 
mand ; but it must be remembered that there is a limit to mental 
endurance, and consequently every legitimate means should be 
adopted to abridge the necessity for over-exertion, by a systematic 
division of study. * 
It is a fact the reverse of flattering to us that at a recent 
Veterinary Congress at Vienna the only English representative 
was a member of the medical profession. Dr. Alexander Williams, 
experienced and able as he undoubtedly is in manipulating the 
machinery of the “ Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act/’ and its 
Supplementary Orders in Council, would have benefited by the 
co-operation of the present head of our profession—Professor 
