57 



period of which we write, English veter- 

 inarians appear to have been following their 

 own way regardless of the more enlightened 

 methods which were beginning to gain accep- 

 tance among the advanced practitioners of 

 France. For to the French is due the credit 

 of laying the first foundations on which 

 scientific veterinary surgery was built. 



The helplessness of the old school is 

 proved by the ravages of epizootics. The 

 loss of horses and other live stock when 

 contagious disease gained footing was enor- 

 mous, such diseases being entirely beyond 

 the understanding of veterinarians. The 

 last half of the eighteenth century saw 

 the establishment of veterinary colleges in 

 Europe. Lyons led the way in 1761 ; the 

 next to be founded was that of Alfort near 

 Paris in 1765 ; the next, Copenhagen, in 

 1773 ; Vienna, 1775 ; Berlin. 1790, and 

 London, as already mentioned, in 1791. 



Study of animal diseases was stimulated 

 by the invasion of deadly plagues, which 

 wrought such havoc that stock-raising in 

 some countries threatened to disappear as an 

 industry. Knowledge of these plagues and 

 efficient remedies had become essential to 

 the existence of horse and cattle breeding, 

 and the collection of facts and correct views 



