VETERINARY EDUCATION. 
47 
For our Dominion of Canada such an institute could never exist, owing 
to our peculiar geographical positions, and other potent reasons, and 
as the former, (though I repeat much to be desired) is not in the 
immediate future. What remains to be done, is to endeavor to raise 
the now existing colleges to a proper standard. 
1st. B} 7 instituting on each a matriculation examination embrac¬ 
ing, Writing, Arithmetic, Euclid, Latin and English Grammar. 
2d. By extending the curriculum over at least three ivinter sessions 
of six months each, and insist on the summer months being spent in 
practice, or if not, a fourth session be required. In my opinion great 
injury is done to the profession by practical application being greatly 
neglected by the most studious pupils, and very often those best 
posted in book knowledge, are least adept in the practical application 
of it. 
I maintain that even if we suppose a student capable of reading 
up fairly the theoretical studies within the same consecutive twelve or 
fourteen months, it is absurd to imagine that he can have even a crude 
idea of practice—he cannot possibly spend his time in lecture-room, 
dissecting-room, study, and be attending to practice at the same time, 
and we all well know that not one in fifty have the opportunity dur¬ 
ing the vacation of the summer months of seeing practice, except a 
neighbor’s cow or horse, which he is allowed to attend as a matter of 
favor. 
Most students are so situated that they have to give their assist¬ 
ance during the summer on the farm or otherways to help them to 
pay for winter’s expenditure, hence, some steps ought to be taken by 
the colleges to insure a practical as well as a theoretical knowledge. 
This matter cannot be too forcibly impressed on those young men who 
intend entering the profession, but more particularly on those who 
are responsible for arranging the course of study at our schools. I am 
aware that the practical education given at certain schools is paraded 
in excuse for an extremely short course, but, surely no man of common 
sense will believe that even if a student wete to see all the practice of 
any three veterinary colleges during four months of winter, with 
nothing else to do, that he would see one tenth of the practice necess¬ 
ary to properly prepare him for the discharge of his professional 
duties with credit to himself or satisfaction to those who employ him, 
and how much can he see when he lias three or four lectures to attend 
every day besides reading and dissecting. Is the want of practice not 
