66 ESSENTIALS OF VETERINARY LAW 



general scientific knowledge is practically nothing. 



Essentially the practice of the veterinarian is 

 in no wise inferior to that of the practitioner 

 among human beings. It requires even a wider 

 scientific knowledge, for it deals with many kinds 

 of animals, each differing from the others far more 

 than the difference between human beings. The 

 veterinarian also deals with them in a greater 

 variety of ways, for he must keep constantly in 

 mind the many possible uses of the animals with 

 which he deals. His problems of disease restric- 

 tion are greater. Today the body of competent 

 veterinarians is small in the United States. Para- 

 doxical as it may seem, restrictions upon the prac- 

 tice will tend to increase this small nucleus, by 

 eliminating the degrading elements. 



While the question as to what shall be consid- 

 ered illegal practice of veterinary medicine and 

 surgery will depend upon the wording of the 

 special statutes of the individual states, and in 

 this country there may have been no judicial 

 determination of that point, there have been some 

 decisions in England which will sen^e as prece- 

 dents for American cases. A farrier who is not 

 registered as a veterinaiy surgeon, nor certified 

 by the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scot- 

 land, violates the law by using the sign ''Veter- 

 inaiy Forge" on his premises, or on his bill- 

 heads.^^ Also one who was not on the register of 

 Veterinary Surgeons, nor a holder of the certifi- 

 cate of the H. and A. S. of Scotland, put out a sign 

 ''Canine Specialist. Dogs and Cats treated for 



osEoyal College of Veteri- L. J. C. 146 (1892), 1 Q. B. 

 nary Surgeons v. Robinson, 61 557. 



