112 ESSENTIALS OF VETERINAEY LAW 



by his books of original entry. Day-books, or 

 calling lists are frequently kept by physicians, and 

 probably also by veterinarians, in such hiero- 

 glyphic characters as to be useless in court. One 

 mark means a call, another means an office pre- 

 scription, another some surgical service, and still 

 another means an obstetrical case. These marks 

 must be interpreted to the court, and he cannot be 

 sure that the meaning of certain characters has 

 not been changed. 



When a veterinarian has rendered professional 

 service he should make such a definite record that 

 anyone could understand what he means. *'E 20 

 S" may be for the veterinarian's use enough to 

 remind him that he examined so many sheep for 

 scab, but perhaps before the suit was brought 

 other things might have obscured the memory, and 

 '^S" be translated *'shoats." It is not sufficient 

 to simply record a call, the book should show just 

 what was done. If hogs be treated for protection 

 from hog cholera, the record should show how 

 many, and whether the veterinarian furnished the 

 virus, or the owner paid for it. The record should 

 show with some definiteness just what animals 

 were treated, and in case of the use of an unusual 

 amount of time it should show how much. Such 

 a record is of positive value in court. Most records 

 made by medical men are of only possible value. 

 The record may be made upon cards for filing, or 

 upon loose sheets of paper. It is better made in 

 books which will show, by the presence of other 

 entries before and after, that it is a genuine entry, 

 and was not made up for the trial. 



Reasonableness of charge has already been 



