VETERINARY SCIENCE. 99 



this disease. It is but fair to assume that if- in our small towns 

 veterinary surgeons had been available, many cases that proved 

 fatal might have been cured. But farmers and horse men were 

 obliged to doctor their horses themselves, and thus grope in the 

 dark, or else employ a so-called horse doctor who probably knows 

 less than themselves, and who, if striking in the dark, were quite 

 sure to hit the horse a death blow ; curing the attack by killing 

 the patient. I could mention a number in my own town, includ- 

 ing a good one belonging to myself, sacrificed to a lack of knowl- 

 edge of their ailments. These hoi'ses were drugged or fed on 

 lobelia and other nostrums, until the medicine for the horse was 

 worse for them than the disease. Very many are called upon to 

 doctor the horses or cattle of neighbors because the owner is not 

 posted on their diseases. Cattle owners or farmers will run for a 

 neighbor when any disease shows itself among their stock ; or will 

 send for a bogus cow doctor with his box of secret medicine, whose 

 knowledge of animal pathology in nine cases out of ten is mere 

 pretence. Stable men usually keep nostrums by them, but there 

 is this truth to all their operations : they can generally only guess 

 when to use and what to use in a given case. Apothecaries are 

 often asked to prescribe for sick animals, and for the accommoda- 

 tion of the farmer and horse men they keep a book of some kind 

 on veterinary surgery by them. But though we have so many 

 who either from choice or the force of circumstances, prescribe for 

 sick animals, still it is a just cause for complaint that we have so 

 few available educated, trustworthy veterinary surgeons in Maine. 

 Every reasonable and rational man with diseased stock, would 

 gladly employ a capable doctor if he could be obtained. But as 

 it now is we are obliged to shift for ourselves in the best manner 

 we can ; and this often a very poor one. All who are stock 

 owners or raisers will acknowledge the correctness of the thought 

 already suggested. The evils hinted at are patent to all. What 

 and where is the remedy ? We certainly have no right to sit 

 down and fold our hands, calling it an evil which cannot be reme- 

 died and hence must be endured. It is one of those things which 

 cannot and ought not to be endured, and hence must be cured. 

 Farmers of Maine it is in your hands to endure or cure. You can 

 if you will, have men in jour community who understand the care 

 and condition of sick animals. Your young men, and even you 

 yourselves can be instructed in much which pertains to the theory 

 and cure of diseases in cattle and horses. And it is a business iu 



