2 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 



to shoe or bleed a horse, is, nevertheless, most unlikely 

 to be able to administer relief to animals whose 

 physical constitutions are subject to as many and 

 complicated diseases as humanity itself. 



In France and Italy the importance of the cure of 

 the diseases of horses and cattle was first manifested 

 upwards of two centuries ago ; and professorships 

 established for the art of farriery as a medical and 

 surgical science, and gradually the persons who pro- 

 fessionally studied and practised this art assumed the 

 names of Veterinary Surgeons. This term, although 

 but recently adopted, is of great antiquity, having 

 been in general use among the Latins. 



It is, however, surprising that in Great Britain, 

 where our domestic animals are of such vast impor- 

 tance, it is only very lately that schools and professor- 

 ships for the study of the Veterinary art have been 

 established ; and not much more than half a century 

 ago, the surgeons of our cavalry regiments adminis- 

 tered medicine to horses as well as to the soldiers. 

 But the study of Comparative Anatomy soon rendered 

 it manifest that a totally different course of study 

 became necessary for the treatment of animals whose 

 internal organisation was so different from that of the 

 human being ; and now every horse regiment has its 

 Veterinary Surgeon. All great towns, and many small 

 ones also, possess medical and surgical practitioners, 

 whose sole attention is devoted to the cure of domestic 

 animals ; these gentlemen having attended and ac- 

 quired diplomas from the Veterinary Colleges for 

 their knowledge and capability to practise the arts. 



The intention of the following treatise is not to 

 take the practice out of tb* hands of regular Veterinary 

 Surgeons, but to serve 19 a ready manual to those 

 living in the country or even in towns, to give them 



