THE PROGRESS OF VETERINARY SCIENCE. 515 



nerve does not approach so near the crown of the tooth as in man. Again, 



animals are generally exempt from those numerous diseases which man 

 produces in himself by vice ; for example, those resulting from the use of 

 ardent spirits. On the other hand, fat and over-pampered animals suffer 

 from liver disease as readily as man, 



1037. Veterinary and Human Medical Science — distinctions between. 



The Veterinary medical art, however, differs from the Human medical 

 art in several very distinct ways. 



1st. Animals can give but very little assistance to the practitioner in 

 detecting the seat and nature of the disease under which they are suffer- 

 ing. Inforaiation can only be gleaned from the symptoms. Herein the 

 Veterinarian is placed at a disadvantage compared with a medical man, 

 and hence greater skill in the diagnosis of disease is needed in the 

 Veterinarian than in the Medical man. 



2nd. In regard to the effect of medicine and treatment, the Vete- 

 rinarian must rely wholly on his skill in discerning their effects. He 

 cannot ask questions to the sufferer as to the effect which his medicine is 

 producing. For instance, we give an animal iron and other tonics. We 

 are obliged to wait until some decided result, either for good or for worse, 

 is produced. In the human subject the medical man would ascertain day 

 by day from his patient what result was being produced. Herein, again, 

 greater skill is needed in the Veterinarian than in the Medical man. 



3rd. It is seldom worth while to treat serious injuries — not sicknesses, 

 but injuries in animals. For instance, a horse breaks his leg. Bones 

 will re-unite in an animal as easily as in man, but complete restoration to 

 Soundness can hardly be expected in either one or the other. A medical 

 man is often well enough pleased if, in case of fracture of the leg, he can 

 make his patient sufficiently well to walk about. But a horse will not 

 repay the cost of cure unless he can be restored to perfect soundness at 

 the walk, trot, and gallop. Hence serious fractures are seldom treated. 



But fractures of the less important bones, and especially of non-weight- 

 bearing bones, may be, and frequently are treated with success. But all 

 such cases demand especial care and skill on the part of the Vete- 

 rinarian ; as the animal, from ignorance of the nature of the treatment 

 adopted, and from impatience, and, perhaps, in-itation is apt, unless great 

 care is taken and the restraints most accurately adjusted, to destroy in a 

 few seconds all the results of the care and treatment of weeks. 



4th. The hindrances with which the Veterinary surgeon has to contend 

 in the treatment of disease are greater than those of the medical man. 

 He is seldom called in in the eai'liest stage of the disease. This is due 

 partly to the ignorance and to the incapacity of those in charge of 

 animals to recognise the earlier signs of the disease ; partly to a stupid 

 desire to save a fee, to wait and see if the animal will get well of itself ; 

 and, lastly, to the inability of the unfortunate sufferer to speak for itself. 

 Animals cannot, except by silent expression, tell their grievances or 

 explain their sensations. Again, in stables and farms generally there is 

 an absence of those accessories of comfort which are as absolutelv essen- 



