EARLY WORKS 13 



Some readers may argue in an opposite direc- 

 tion, and declare that the ancients had a crude 

 form of civilisation compared to our own. Too 

 much stress has been laid upon Roman and 

 Greek equine inventions they may declare. Yet 

 incubators were used by the ancient Egyptians, 

 although some people imagine they are solely 

 modern inventions. 



Surely we are justified in assuming that all 

 ancient knowledge on hints on horses and stable- 

 management has not been handed down to us ? 

 Doubtless we have missed several secrets which, 

 if we knew them, would prove of the utmost 

 value. Is not this argument reasonable? Great 

 stress must be laid upon the ancient references, 

 because otherwise we treat the forerunners of 

 modern veterinary colleges too lightly — in fact, do 

 not realise that early historians and early writers 

 of veterinary treatises were highly cultured. 



Most well-recognised ancient equine authors 

 had been highly cultured. Did they not live at 

 a period when Art as represented by Sculpture 

 was far higher than it is now ; perhaps nearer 

 perfection than it ever was or ever will be } 



Small wonder then that Greek and Roman 

 authors who made veterinary and stable-manage- 

 ment a deep study, wrote remarks which show 

 wonderful discernment, and penned them, using 

 language that is clearness personified, and orna- 

 menting each sentence with the most apt expres- 

 sions conceivable. Their style was interwoven 

 with rippling humour — not unlike Voltaire's, 

 blended with Byron's versatile genius. 



