860 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
plane in the social and business world not higher than their 
natural talents command. 
Snell a state of affairs induced a serious and rapid decline in 
the number of students in almost every college in the country. 
It was readily seen by the public that a certain class of 
veterinarian was useful, in fact, we had reached a stage of 
civilization where a higher type of veterinarian was essential to 
the good of society. 
Up to this time the veterinary colleges had been chiefly of a 
type we may denominate “ commercial,” that, is, they were 
equipped and conducted by private parties who were under ne¬ 
cessity of earning a rental upon college property and obtaining 
a professional fee for the work of teaching. No wealthy 
philanthropist had endowed, no State had supported them. 
The more worthy ones accomplished a work of inestimable 
value, which although in part obscured by the inferior institu¬ 
tions can not pass unseen. Their graduates constituted a vast 
educational force, a band of pioneers who made the existence 
of other kinds of colleges possible. 
When the public demanded better educated veterinarians 
many of the better pioneer colleges increased their curricula 
from two to three years of their own volition, thus showing a 
willingness to keep pace to a degree at least with public sen¬ 
timent. In the meantime philanthropists and States had turned 
active attention to veterinary education, and, passing by the 
pioneer colleges, laid what they apparently thought more endur¬ 
ing and extensive foundations in connection with great univer¬ 
sities and concurrently have enacted veterinary practice laws in 
harmony with the sentiment underlying the new college founda¬ 
tions, which may incidentally be inimical to the interests of 
other colleges. 
In what degree these movements in the field of veterinary 
ediication and practice may have injured the colleges in New 
York City we have no data to show. 
For several years prior to the New York laws these colleges 
had been declining heavily in attendance. It is true they had 
raised their courses from two to three years, but if this alone 
were the case, the cheap and easy two-year colleges should have 
profited thereby, but all the data at hand shows instead that 
they have suffered in an equal ratio to the colleges demanding 
longer terms of study. 
We have no data to show that New York City colleges have 
suffered more severe!v in diminution of attendance than other 
