PROCEEDINaS OF SECTION K. 703 



1. NOTES ON THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 

 VETERINARY PROFESSION IN VICTORIA. 



By W. Tyson Kendall, D.V.Sc, H.A.R.C .V .S., M.E.C.V.S., 

 Lecturer V eterinary Medicine and Therapetctics, Melbourne 

 University V eterinary School. 



The establishment of a veterinary section in connexion with 

 the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 

 marks a new era in the history of our profession, and it has 

 occurred to me that I could not select a more appropriate subject 

 on which to address you than " The History of the Veterinary 

 Profession " in Victoria. 



Obviously in the limited tim.e at my disposal I cannot do more 

 than give an outline sketch of the subject, and must leave the 

 details to be filled in later. I shall confine my remarks to the 

 period anterior to 1908, since which time events have moved so 

 rapidly that there would be sufiicient material for another paper. 

 I shall also leave details of the establishment of Government 

 veterinary departments and veterinary schools to our worthy pre- 

 sident, Professor D. Stewart, than whom there could be no more 

 able exponent. 



In the early days of its occupation by white people, Australia 

 was not an attractive field for the veterinary surgeon. Domestic 

 animals that had been imported, and their offspring, enjoyed a 

 remarkable immunity, not only from those epizootic diseases 

 which have caused such devastation amongst the flocks and herds 

 of older countries, but also from ordinary sporadic ailments. This 

 immunity may be attributed to care in the selection of sound, 

 healthy animals for importation, the long and trying voyage which 

 would eliminate the weak and unhealthy ones, the complete isola- 

 tion from countries v/here animal diseases were prevalent, and 

 extraordinary salubrity of the climate. Imported under such 

 favorable conditions to a country pre-eminently adapted for their 

 growth and reproduction, and with a food supply and environment 

 unsurpassed, it v/ill be of interest to briefly trace the origin and 

 spread of disease amongst domestic animals. 



So long as the original natural conditions remained undisturbed 

 domestic animals preserved their freedom from disease. They 

 v.ere allowed to roam freely over large areas of country, with every 

 -opportunity of choosing their own food, water, and shelter. There 

 was no loss of vigour from overcrowding and over-stocking, but, 

 as they continued to breed and multiply out of all proportions 

 to the limited requirements of the then small community, their 

 value depreciated so much that stock-owners became careless about 

 selecting and mating them. They neglected to castrate and weed 

 out the inferior male animals and allowed males and females of 

 all ages and relationships to run together to the certain deteriora- 

 tion of their offspring. 



