FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 107 



veterinary education was considered. Poubtless it had 

 been brought forward by John Collins Warren, M. D., who 

 had within a few years become a member of the board. 

 At any rate, he was made one of a committee to inquire 

 into the matter, and, although the report subsequently 

 made bears no signature, the familiar knowledge manifested 

 in it as to the status of European schools of anatomy and 

 surgery, is good evidence that it was prepared by him. 

 As it seems to mark the beginning of that branch of prac- 

 tical science, not only in this state, but in this country, and 

 is of instructive interest, it may properly be given in full. 

 The report was submitted, Jan. 11, 1845, and is as follows r 



The committee appointed to consider the best mode of 

 encouraging veterinary education in this state beg leave to 

 report, that, on inquiry, they find that the diseases and ac- 

 cidents to which domestic animals are liable are but little 

 understood among us, and the treatment is consequently 

 empirical and often pernicious. The importance of many 

 animals to the pursuits of agriculture render them worthy 

 of the most careful attention, in an active and industrial 

 community. 



We find that, in Europe, schools for the formation of 

 physicians and surgeons for treatment of the diseases- 

 of animals have been everywhere established. In Great 

 Britain, France and other countries, the veterinary physi- 

 cian and surgeon stands as high in public estimation as the 

 regular practitioners of the healing art. In some of the 

 German schools it is made a part of the duty of every stu- 

 dent in medicine to attend a series of lectures upon this 

 subject. 



No such establishments exist in this country, and the 

 want of information on the subject is truly deplorable. 

 Fine animals are continually sacrificed to the ignorance and 

 prejudice of their possessors. The trustees of this society 

 have originated and diffused many important and difficult 

 improvements in the agriculture of this part of the country, 

 and it seems well worthy of their public spirit and influence 

 to make an effort to introduce a better practice in the treat- 

 ment of the injuries of animals. 



The most useful mode of accomplishing this object would 

 be by the foundation of a veterinary school, but as the funds 

 of the society would not enable them to execute so large a 



