PREFACE. 



Notwithstanding the general consensus of opinion in favour of 

 clinical teaching, this method of instruction has until recently been 

 somewhat neglected in British veterinary schools. In Germany, on 

 the other hand, ambulatory cliniques occupied an important position 

 from a very early date, and in the two great French schools of Lyons 

 and Alfort clinical demonstrations have received an extension and 

 been brought to a pitch of perfection probably unsurpassed elsewhere. 



Convinced from my student's days of the value of this system I 

 was greatly attracted by the impromptu lectures at Alfort, and early 

 began the collection of extensive notes, and in some cases of drawings, 

 designing on my return home to publish a small clinical volume. 

 Pressure of literary and other work unfortunately — or perhaps fortu- 

 nately — rendered this impossible. Meanwhile Professor Cadiot, one of 

 the foremost clinical teachers in France, whose instruction I consider 

 myself fortunate in having received, gave a renewed impulse to my 

 purpose by the publication last year of his ' Etudes de Pathologie et 

 de Clinique.' A glance at this admirable work convinced me that in 

 great part at least my work had been anticipated, and that instead of 

 pursuing my original intention I should better serve the interests of 

 English-speaking colleagues by assuming the humble but (from their 

 standpoint) no less useful part of translator, utilising my own material 

 and that to be derived from English literature by way of supplement 

 to the experiences of my former teacher. 



On this conviction I have acted. The first part of the original 



