A certain Mr. Billings has recently written an open letter to the President and fellows of Harvard College through the columns of the Turf, Field and Farm, in which he attacks the Harvard Veterinary School in a very vigorous and somewhat excited manner. The gentleman that wrote it assures his readers that "he is not a 'sore head' " but that he looks upon the "subscription plan" by which the school is carried on as "a disgrace to Harvard College and as bound to exert a most baneful influence, by its example, on the future of American veterinary medicine." This subscription plan which has been adopted is the same as the London plan of "subscriptions," by which, for a minimum sum of money per year, the school, according to Mr. Billings. Promises to render services to each subscriber which no private practitioner could afford to guarantee to do for three times the amount. He further claims that since the school belongs to a great public institution, it ought not to do what a private speculative affair like the London School has done, namely, adopt this plan of subscriptions. He states in this connection that "A question which has been and still is troubling the minds of the thinking members of the veterinary profession is; "What purpose had Harvard in establishing a Veterinary Department in connection with the Medical School?" Was it to educate young men to become credible members of a profession which should rank as high as human medicine in the public mind, or was it to run an animal hospital on a strictly business basis.

But medical schools and business enterprises cannot be looked upon from the same standpoint. A business enterprise is a private affair, undertaken to make money; if it "won't pay," it goes under. A medical school is an educational affair, whether it pays in money or not is a matter of no importance whatever. It is a public servant, just the same as the public schools. The only dividend the public can expect to receive is that the graduates of the schools are thoroughly educated in both the scientific and practical parts of their profession.

The writer then proceeds to ask those to whom the letter is addressed: "Is it an honorable thing for you to cut prices, for services at your hospital, 100 per cent less than the regular practitioner charges; less than those your own graduates will have to charge on order to make a loving, or to keep on collegiate terms with other professional?" In proof that his question is founded on fact, he submits various figures going to show that the school is offering to work much cheaper that a professional could, which looks as if the school was "trying to run the veterinary profession of Boston and vicinity into the ground." Mr. Billings in stances the school belonging to the University of Pennsylvania as setting us a good example, and then says "Every word which President Eliot spoke about the work of a medical school in his late address at the dedication of the new building is applicable to the Veterinary department; but not one is being applied. He spoke of the necessity of gathering funds to pursue the work. With regard to this veterinary school, the matter has never been written up in the papers, as it should have been done; no public interest has ever been awakened. Had the question been taken up as it should have been done, we know of what we speak in saying that a permanent fund of at least $100,000 could have been raised, and not with any great amount of labor."

The writer then discusses the location of the present school and argues in favor of giving up the Village street Hospital and of establishing the school at Bussey Farm where the accommodations are, he thinks, much better suited to a hospital clinic than the city place. Summing up his article, Mr. Billings concludes by expressing the hope that his letter will be received as it is intended, in the true interest of the Harvard Veterinary School.

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