■I 
EDITORIAL. 
not been granted from a Board of Examiners. We believe, and are 
sure, that Piofessor McEachran does also value the diploma from a French 
School to be as high as that of any of the English Colleges ! But let us 
suppose that the presence of the names of the Board of-Examiners 
would give more value to a diploma, we will ask where and how in 
this country can an outside cind impartial Board , unconnected with the 
College , be selected. Have we a sufficient number of educated Veter- 
inarians to fill up the position, who would be willing to do it—yes, who 
could fill it? We have no hesitancy to say no. To be examiners, 
means to be thoroughly acquainted with the subject to examine upon, 
to be posted with its last advancement, discoveries, etc. And have we 
amongst us, with the exception of those who are engaged in teaching 
(and these in their specialties), members of the profession who do not 
feel themselves somewhat rusty on Anatomy, on Physiology, on Thera¬ 
peutics, etc. What, then, have we to do but fall back on the recent 
graduates, and are they, properly speaking, unconnected with the Col¬ 
lege; or on outside practitioners? 
What was the position of the Montreal Veterinary College at their 
last meeting? One of their examiners, at least, w^as a graduate of the 
School, and another, vdiose professional standing ought to have been an 
objection to its appointment, and whose name, I fear, on the dip¬ 
loma of that excellent institution, can be no great honor to the docu¬ 
ment. 
Under this piesent condition, what is to be done ? We would sug¬ 
gest that the oral examination be made public ; let all the Professors of 
the different departments of a school meet together, and let the candi¬ 
date pass his examination in front of the whole faculty ; yes, in a room 
where all the • students to be examined will be allowed to be present. 
This would do away with the possibility of prejudice or preconceived 
decision on the part of the teachers, while it would give the candidate 
the comfort and the confidence that he would already have had dur¬ 
ing the course. It would be but a repetition of the weekly recitations 
or quizzes which he would have had during his course of studies; merely 
a moie severe trial ; but he would know that his examination, though 
severe, would be carried on by those with whom he was acquainted, and 
whose mode of questions he was familiar with. 
Of the written examination we have nothing to say—thesis, we are 
satisfied, is merely a matter of form for many. We believe the proper 
way to be, to give the student questions on the different branches and 
let him write upon them. 
