EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 867 
proof of having received at least one year’s pupilage from a qualified 
member of the profession.” 
Mr. Dray moved that this be confirmed. 
Mr. Greaves seconded the motion. 
Professor Robertson said he did not think the Council had power to take 
such a step. He believed the schools would protest against it, and take 
legal advice upon it. 
The President said the Council was not acting without advice. In 
December, 1878, an opinion was given by an eminent lawyer that the 
Council had power to enforce anything that was necessary with regard 
to the education of students. 
Professor Robertson said the Council certainly had power to examine 
the candidates as they chose, but he thought they had no power to pre¬ 
scribe how they were to obtain their knowledge. 
The President said the subject was fully discussed at the last meeting. 
If the Council had been acting on an erroneous opinion the bye-law 
could be cancelled. 
The resolution was then agreed to. 
Professor Axe then moved as an instruction to the colleges :—“ That 
all students entering the several colleges after the 1st January, 1881, be 
required to produce a register of birth, or other satisfactory evidence 
of their having attained the age of twenty years, before receiving the 
diploma of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.” 
The resolution was seconded and agreed to. 
On the motion of the President , the Council directed that copies of 
these bye-laws be sent to the principals of each of the schools. 
A vote of thanks to the President brought the proceedings to a close. 
EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
Opening of the Session, 1880—1. 
[We extract the following from the North British Agriculturist , as up 
to the time of preparing for press no official report of the Inaugural 
Address delivered at the Edinburgh College had reached us.] 
The Lord Provost of Edinburgh presided at the opening proceedings 
of the college (Dick’s) in the Council Chambers. 
After a few appropriate remarks by the Provost, 
Principal Walley delivered his introductory address, the subject being 
“Veterinary Quackery, and the Relation of the Veterinary Profession 
to the Public.” He first referred to the various kinds of veterinary 
quacks, who, he said, were found amongst stockowners, coachmen, 
grooms, shoeing smiths, shepherds, saddlers, and others, who had no 
real knowledge how to cure the ailments of animals as they pretended to 
do. The profession was also invaded by certain chemists and druggists, 
manufacturers of artificial food, and even by medical men. The result 
of the operations of the quacks was that both directly and indirectly 
they destroyed more lives than they saved, and caused more pain than 
what they alleviated. With regard to the veterinary surgeon as a pro¬ 
tector of the public, he performed, for example, an important function 
in the examination of horses as to their soundness, and in the detection 
of diseased meat and vitiated milk. He also rendered valuable services 
in the reduction of the number of contagious diseases in cattle. It was 
an important circumstance to observe that there was no contagious 
disease to which animals in this country were liable that could not be 
