UNKNOWN

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 52, 2 March 1901, Page 6

UNKNOWN

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LOXDOS, January IS. 'RUTHLESS" GILIIUTH AND HIS VETS.* PASS EXAMS. Mr Gilruth. is evidently the man to lo thing, thoroughly. Directly after ,;•; arrival he began the business of electing veterinary surgeons. No mere paper testimonials would satisfy New Zealand's veteran vet. It didu : matter to him whether men could write all the alphabet after then names, or how many gold and silver medals and diplomas of honour they had taken in their collegiate course. ir* the candidates wished to examine New Zealand's produce, they must first be prepared to be examined themselves. To Scotland Mr Gilruth first betook himself, having previou.-

iy summoned the Scotch candidates to meet him at Edinburgh. 1 daresay some of them were a bit staggved'at finding that the ruthless inspector had a little written and oral pass examination for them, but they hid to submit to it if they desired lo be New Zealand vets., or else be vetoed. 1 rofessor Dewar had very kindly col lected for Mr Gilruth a number of nice samples (from a scientific point of view) of diseased meats, and these, when the written examination was over, Mr Gilruth submitted to the examinees as pieces de resistance and tors d'oeuvres—perhaps hors de combat would be the most appropriate term for them. As the result of the examination Mr Gilruth picked out three men, all of whom have done good practical work, and who c

mentioned hereafter.

Yesterday the English candidates had their little go. This time Mr James King, Chief Inspector of Meat for the City of London, "obliged." He a.am had qnite a splendid selection of specimens of animal diseases and unhealthy meat ready; in fact, the candidates might have declared with veterinary pride:

"Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before a King?"

Only in this case it was the King who set the meat pie before the candidates and invited their opinion as to us exact contents. The proceedings were held in camera —I should say vi Mr Cameron's room —at the General's, and the results have not yet been allowed to transpire, nor has the ''pass list" been made public. It seems doubtful whether the terms ottered are quite good enough to attract the best class of men, seeing how much higher a rank the veterinary profession has taken of late years, and how much increased has been the demand for veterinary surgeons in all parts of the world. Proicssor Hobday of London is writing to several suitable men, who may noi have seen the advertisement, suggesting that they should apply, so that before he leaves Mr Gilruth should have his band of lieutenants complete, and ready to begin their campaign against disease at the Antipodes. Mr Gilruth has been so busy with the "vets" that he has not had time to do much else. His arrival has, however, been noised abroad with tin. result, as he says, that it seems as ii everyone in the United Kingdom had horses or bulls for sale... In fact, every agriculturist seems to have heard of "De Vet" of New Zealand.

Three veterinary surgeons, whom Mr Gilruth submitted to a practical examination while be was in Scotland, and who will leave for the colony on Dlsi January, have been appointed. The., are Messrs. John Kerrigan, Dank Hay Machattie, and Alexander Mc Lean Paterson. .Mr Kerrigan, who i--31 arid unmarried, hails from Glen kindie, Aberdeenshire. He is an M.R.C.V.S., and winner of the Allen Thomson Gold Medal in Anatomy, anri of a large microscope in chemistry, and has for the last sj_ years been employed by the three parishes, Glen bucket, Towie, and Strathdon, to ad vise in the management of live stock and farm sanitation.

Mr Machattie, M.R.C.V.S., is 22. and unmarried. He is a "Glasgie" man. He took up the veterinary profession at 16, and has seen a great deal of practice not only in Scotland, but also in New York, and Montreal, Canada, and has been for some time acting as locum tenens for a veterinary surgeon in Perth.

Mr Paterson, M.R.C.V.S., is 34, married, and has two children. At the Eoyal Veterinary College in Edinburgh he gained one gold medal, two silver medals, and high honours. He has been in practice for 10 years, not only in Scotland, but also in Texas, and has been lately employed as veterinary surgeon for the parishes of Cluny, Esk, Midmar, and Monymusk, in Aberdeen.