98th Entry Halton Apprentices

First-year students at the Edinburgh Veterinary School were receiving their first anatomy class, with a dead cow.They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet. The professor started the class by telling them, ‘In Veterinary Medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor:

The first is that you are not to be disgusted by anything involving the animal body.

For example’ he said as he pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger up the dead cow’s bum, withdrew it and stuck his finger in his mouth.

‘Go ahead and do the same thing,’ he told his students. The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes.

They eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it.

When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and said,

‘The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger.’

‘Now learn to pay attention. Life’s tough, it’s even tougher if you’re stupid.’