424 
REPORT OF ANNUAL MEETING. 
claimed in the sister profession. I am sure, as soon as you 
secure these, that a better class of men will enter our schools, 
and that a larger number will be found to enter. I may venture 
to make one or two remarks upon the Report which the Council 
have laid before us to-dav. The first remark that occurs to 
me is, how far it will be judicious to legalise so large a num¬ 
ber of practitioners as now style themselves veterinary sur¬ 
geons ? The Report says that there are something like 3000 
of them. I think it is quite right that any Act of Parliament 
we may obtain should be retrospective, up to the date of our 
deed of Charter of Incorporation; but it is only fair to the 
members of the profession generally that the Council should 
well consider and discuss how far it will be fair to legalise men 
who have assumed our title since the Charter was obtained; 
I do not mean the title of “ veterinary surgeon/’ but the 
title of “ Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Sur¬ 
geons.” There are many men practising in the country call¬ 
ing themselves members of the Royal College of Veterinary 
Surgeons who are not members. A man may call himself a 
veterinary surgeon, and a man may call himself a surgeon, 
and there is no Act to prevent his doing so. 
The President,—-By a recent Act a man cannot call himself 
a surgeon now. 
Mr, Mayer .—Another remark I wish to make is, that I 
think it would be judicious in future reports to state what 
alterations have been made in the bye-law T s. It is not pos¬ 
sible for every member to have an opportunity at all times to 
see the alterations that occur, and I think it is very desirable 
that this information should be communicated to the profes¬ 
sion in the annual reports of the Council. With these few 
remarks I beg to express my gratification at the steps which 
are now proposed to be taken for the attainment of the original 
intentions of the founders of the institution. 
Mr. Helmore .—After so much that has been said, I shall 
not detain you long with any remarks of my own. Mr. 
Brown has called attention to the third reason given by the 
Council why they seek this Act of Parliament. I was in hopes 
he w r as going to say more upon the subject, because, for my 
part, I think the reasons are not such as should emanate 
from a body of men possessing a Charter of Incorpora¬ 
tion. I will illustrate what I mean by quoting an extract 
from the report itself. It says —“ These persons are 
generally the first to attend the maladies of domestic animals.” 
I must say that I do not find it so; my experience goes to show 
the contrary; and that is one reason why! object to the remark. 
Then it says—If the veterinary surgeon be sent for, the 
