798 
ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
were complaints that gentlemen who graduated in the College were 
sometimes utterly incompetent to practise their art, or deficient in 
manipulative skill. For the sake of the profession, the owners of the 
animals, and the animals themselves, he thought that graduates of the 
College ought to be able to practise their art on graduation. It was at 
one time recognised in the profession that an apprenticeship was neces¬ 
sary in order that a man might be instructed to use his hands in the 
manipulation of the animals he had to deal with, and also know the 
practical details of his work. The schools deserved all credit for the 
manner in which they had carried on the education of students, but it 
was not possible for them to teach a young man the practical details of 
his profession during the short time he was at College. He, therefore, 
thought the College should be able to assure the public and the profes¬ 
sion that those who held its diplomas were qualified to practise the art 
of veterinary medicine. 
Mr. Taylor seconded the motion, and said he agreed with every word 
the President had said, and would rather that the term should be two 
years instead of one. 
Mr. Reynolds agreed that a student should become acquainted with 
the manipulation of all kinds of animals before he went into practice, 
but did not think an apprenticeship should be insisted upon. It was 
the duty of the Examiners to ascertain that a student possessed all 
necessary knowledge. He moved as an amendment that the President’s 
proposition be not carried. 
Mr. Cox , as one of the Examiners, said that at each examination the 
Examiners had a very anxious task, and sometimes did not know what 
to do for the best. They felt that to exact from very young men 
knowledge which they had no means of obtaining was illogical and 
unfair. He did not think a school would ever be able to impart to the 
student the knowledge of manipulation necessary for his profession. 
Mr. Collins remarked that the fifteen or twenty minutes during which 
the student was before the Examiner were not sufficient to ascertain 
what practical knowledge he possessed. Pie had great pleasure in 
supporting the motion of the President. 
Mr. Cartledge supported the President’s motion. He said that a 
large number of young men wishing to enter the army were rejected 
for deficiency in practical knowledge. There was no reflection on 
the schools, as they had comparatively few cases under their care. 
The other day he asked a young man, who he believed had taken all the 
medals at one of the colleges, to put the hobbles on, and he could not 
do it. 
Mr. Dollar cited instances of want of practical knowledge, and said 
that when he acted as Examiner if a man obtained a bad mark for 
practical knowledge he was not allowed to go up for the Oral Examina¬ 
tion, and eight men out of twenty had been so plucked last year. 
Mr. Morgan seconded Mr. Reynold’s amendment. 
Professor Williams thought there would be a difficulty in finding suffi¬ 
cient veterinary surgeons to take yonng men for a short period. Other 
men who had little or no practice would take money from young men 
and teach them nothing. 
Professor Walley said he had four and a half years’ practice before he 
went to College, but thought the time had been thrown away, as he had 
to unlearn all he had learned. “ Apprenticeship” was a term which they, 
as professional men, should not employ. His opinion was that a student 
should pass the Preliminary Examination, and then go to a veterinary 
surgeon. 
