THE PROGRESS OF VETERINARY SCIENCE. 513 



like the kindred art of human medicine, it was studied in a very rude 

 and unsatisfactory way. 



The first attempt to teach in England veterinary medicine on scientific 

 principles was made by Sainbel, a Frenchman, about a hundred years ago, 

 in the school now known as the Royal Veterinary College of London. 

 Since that time three other schools have been established. In 1844 a 

 Charter of Incorporation was granted to the Veterinary profession under 

 the name of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Into this body 

 are now affiliated the four teaching schools above alluded to. 



A licence to practise cannot be given by any teaching school, but all 

 the students are sent up for examination before the board of the Royal 

 College of Veterinary Surgeons, and from that board alone the student 

 can receive his diploma. 



In the hundred years which have elapsed since the days of Sainbel the 

 veterinary profession has made rapid, very rapid strides towards the 

 attainment of that position to which its claims and its aims entitle it. 

 This progress has been chiefly due to the enlightened views and striking 

 abilities of those who were appointed as the earlier professors of the 

 veterinary art men who devoted their lives to its development and per- 

 fection. The public, on the other hand, have been slow to recognise the 

 claims of Veterinary science, and it was not until the recent enormous 

 losses, produced by ignorance of the true origin of disease, called greater 

 attention to the subject, that the Veterinary art has been recognised as 

 second only in its usefulness to the care of human life. 



Under the head of Veterinary Science is included the art of healing, 

 as applied to all animals useful to man. But modern ideas in veterinary 

 as in medical practice now regard the prevention of disease as more im- 

 portant than its cure. In the human race this change of "ideas is fairly 

 realised. In veterinary practice it is more fully realised, inasmuch as 

 animals, unlike human beings, cease to be of any value, unless they are 

 sound and healthy, except in special cases, such as brood mares. The 

 cure of sick animals is not practically so important as their maintenance 

 in health. No doubt the cure of disease is an important object, but it 

 is only one, and certainly not the chief object of the many duties apper- 

 taining to Veterinary science. 



1036. Veterinary Sanitary Science. 



Veterinary Sanitary science is also closely allied to human sanitary 

 science. A great many of the diseases which affect animals are commu- 

 nicable to man, and are of a most serious character. Again, the flesh of 

 animals in disease, as well as their milk, may be a prolific source of 

 disease in man. Again, wide-spread animal plagues, such as rinderpest, 

 foot-and-mouth disease, pleuro-pneumonia, and others, may render meat 

 that article of food which is so important to all classes both scarce and 

 dear. 



Animals of the higher class suffer from much the same diseases as 

 man, and these generally arise from much the same causes. For example, 

 fevers of various kinds, diseases of the lungs, liver, kidneys, nervous and 



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