faculties of veterinary colleges. This source is the agricultural colleges which in some States maintain one or more very competent veterinarians on their faculties. Some of the veterinary colleges have found it necessary to go to this source when filling positions on their staffs. One of the difficulties encountered here is that the salary scale in many cases is higher in the agricultural college than in the average veterinary college. In the interest of the future of the veterinary profession and all it serves, those best qualified for educational work should be on the staffs of the veterinary colleges, and all veterinary colleges should develop a limited number of young men for institutional service by providing instructorships and fellowships with opportunities for graduate work. Such men need not necessarily be developed for their own alma mater; in fact, excessive inbreeding would lead to stagnation. It is much better for the man as well as for the institution he is to serve, if he has taken either his undergraduate or his postgraduate work in some other institution. With three exceptions, veterinary colleges have been quite free from too much inbreeding. The numerical distribution among the faculty of the D. V. M. degree, according to the source of the degree, is indicated in Table 16. In one case it will be noted that every member of the staff is an alumnus of the institution he is serving. In another case all but one of the staff are serving their own alma mater; in the third case there are two staff members from other institutions. This may be compensated for in part if some of the staff members have had a number of years experience at other institutions. A man coming from another environment where somewhat different educational methods and ideals are accepted is able to broaden and enrich a staff provided, of course, that the administration and staff of the institution to which he is coming is a progressive one. Unprogressive and narrow attitudes are one of the commonest results of inbreeding and are often encouraged by alumni who strive to prevent graduates of other colleges from securing positions that in their judgment belong to fellow alumni. Academic preparation by various faculty members before taking up the study of veterinary medicine is an interesting study, especially since there is increasing strength of opinion that at least two years of preparation of collegiate grade should be required for entrance to veterinary colleges. Table 16 shows the number of baccalaureate degrees held by the staff members of the various veterinary colleges before studying veterinary medicine. It will be noticed that in three institutions no staff member held a baccalaureate degree before beginning professional studies. For one institution these data were not furnished, but the catalogue would indicate that one member of the staff held such a degree prior to receiving his veterinary degree. In the other institutions the number varies from two to five. The same table also shows the amount of graduate work pursued by the faculty as a whole, the number of graduate degrees they have received, and whether or not they were received from the school they are now serving. In two cases no graduate work was reported. All other institutions report graduate work varying from 3 to 10 years and from 1 to 7 graduate degrees. In one case no report was made on the amount of graduate study, but referring again to the catalogue, it indicated that the institution should be credited with at least two graduate degrees. Table 16 also gives the number of teaching hours as reported for the last term or semester of the year 1927-28. While in most cases these hours are undoubtedly quite accurate, there are cases in which the number of hours reported is clearly beyond the limits of probability. One case will suffice for illustration. The report showed that this staff member was carrying 7 subjects that required 10 lectures and an average of 51 laboratory hours per week, making a total of 61 actual hours in classroom or laboratory per week. In addition he reported that he was giving one-third of his time to State work of a non-educational nature, as well as holding a position in his own institution which in most cases requires considerable work of an executive nature. The inference is strong that in some cases classes and laboratories are not regularly met. In a few cases this has been confirmed by consultation with those having personal knowledge. This condition is especially likely to develop where staff members carry on a private practice in addition to their educational work. The more conscientious can safely be trusted in this respect, while others require the assistance of a strong administrative hand to keep them regularly at their institutional duties. On the whole it may be said safely that this abuse is confined to a few. Most staff members are employed full time by their institutions and report little outside income. In a few institutions reply to this question was avoided. The important consideration is not criticism of staff members but criticism of institutions that permit conditions and a salary scale which encourage abuses of this kind, or in some cases almost require such practices if the staff is to have a decent income. In some institutions outside work is encouraged because of the experience thus gained; experience thus obtained is considered more important than the financial returns. This viewpoint is not without merit if practice is kept within the limits of its contribution to educational efficiency. A man with no practical experience certainly can not be as good a teacher as the experienced man, other things being equal. But neither can the man who neglects to meet his students regularly or fails to prepare for lectures or laboratories because he is busy making another dollar, be considered a desirable member of the staff of any veterinary college. Two fundamental things are necessary in educational work, students who desire knowledge and some means by which such knowledge may be secured. The most efficient means for providing knowledge is a teacher thoroughly trained in the particular subject or subjects on which the student seeks further information. The effectiveness with which the teacher is able to transmit the information and attitudes that he possesses to the student determines the quality of teaching. Equipment is only an adjunct, though often very effective, to assist the various members of the teaching staff in their efforts to enlighten the student. The staff is, therefore, the most essential part of any educational institution. It is the heart of the college; it is the college itself. Chapter VII.-The Curriculum For convenience of consideration the courses have been divided into subject groups. Those usually taught by the members of the 100 COLO 1296 OHIO 4/2 OHIO 1056 PENN 1040 KANS. 1008 198 MICH 308 268 N.Y. 296 WASH. 206 WASH 846 IOWA 201 N.Y 912 120 Colo. 180 TOTAI DIVIDED LECTORY ARS 7945 408 MICH. 308 112 AANS. 288 N.Y. 272 GEOR 271 WASH 216 WASH 270 TOWA 157 IOWA 263 OHIO 228 N.Y. 144 veterinary faculty within the veterinary division of the college will receive special consideration and will be considered first in this discussion. Taking these courses as they most frequently appear in the outlined course of study, the anatomical group usually continues throughout the freshman and sophomore years. The graphs following show the number of hours devoted to the different subjects at the various institutions and indicate the actual conditions as reported much better than lengthy discussion. Anatomy varies from 188 hours at one institution to 1,080 at another. The number of lecture hours varies from 11 to 216 and the laboratories from 216 to 864. The subject group which includes histology and embryology |