THE HISTORY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 231 



many which, are most ludicrous. While the therapeutic knowledge 

 displayed by Yegetius is frequently good, his knowledge of anatomy 

 was most insignificant, especially of that which was then known in 

 human medicine." 



It is in the writings of these authors that we find the words 

 " veterinaria " and " veterinarius " first appearing, indicating the 

 Latin origin of our words " veterinary " and " veterinarian." The 

 art was also called " mulo-medicine," and Yegetius styles himself 

 " Yegetii Renatii sive Mulo-medicinse." It is at or about this 

 period that we first find intimations of horseshoeing among the 

 Romans, a practice they seem to have borrowed from the Germans 

 and Gauls.* 



Yeterinarii are also mentioned as attached to the Roman cavalry, 

 and attending to the health of the animals used at the circus at 

 Rome. 



During this period numerous pests carried devastation and. mis- 

 ery among the Romans and their tributary tribes ; the domestic 

 animals likewise suffered from similar scourges. No writer of the 

 period has given to posterity so classical a description of these devas- 

 tations among animals as the poet Yirgil in his " Georgics." I take 

 the liberty of transcribing a few appropriate verses of the same from 

 Mr. Fleming's "Animal Plagues" : 



" Not whirlwinds from the sea so frequent rush, 

 Big with storm, as pests 'mid cattle rage. 

 Nor individuals sole disorders seize, 

 But, suddenly, whole flocks, with every hope, 

 At once, and, from the youngest, all the race. 



"... From tainted air arose 

 A dreadful storm, inflamed by autumn's heat, 

 And gave to death all cattle, tame and wild, 

 Corrupting hikes, poisoning the grassy food. 



" Hence, midst the springing grass, young cattle die, 

 And yield their gentle lives at loaded stalls; 

 Hence, madden fawning dogs, and the sick swine, 

 With suffocating shake and panting cough, give up their lives. 



" Lo ! as the bull under the plowshare smokes, 

 He falls, and vomits mingled foam and gore, 

 And makes his final groan ; 



* Any one desiring to read a most interesting archaeological study, should not fail to 

 obtain Mr. George Fleming's " Horseshoes and Horseshoeing," which is a work more suit- 

 able to general education than for instruction in horseshoeing, though the latter part 

 does not fail in this particular. 



