AMATEUR VETS 21 



sideration how much the constitutions of their 

 victims differ. Thank goodness the Ancients 

 had no inducement to nearly pull a poor horse's 

 tongue out or cause it to bleed, because they 

 never gave balls ; neither did they put their 

 patients to excruciating agony by docking with 

 unsuitable instruments. But they paid even 

 more regard to regular feeding than many of 

 us do now. They knew less about diseases, 

 we readily admit ; but this, in a way, was an 

 advantage, because they did not jumble them up. 

 Knowing nothing of our modern blister, they could 

 not apply it, as some foolish people do now, without 

 first of all clipping the hair off. But whether or 

 not they got their fingers bitten off by dogs when 

 giving them medicine is a moot point. 



In the present day every amateur vet who 

 respects the safety of his hands takes excellent 

 care to force a stout stick into the canine patient's 

 mouth, whilst another person firmly grips the 

 dog by his ears. 



It is not uncommon to torture the brute 

 creation by unskilfully bandaging their limbs, or 

 to choke pigs by administering draughts much 

 too rapidly, and perhaps squeezing the breath 

 out of them in the process. 



The thousand and one unspeakable tortures 

 that an unpractical, though not necessarily an 

 intentionally cruel vet, can inflict on the wild and 

 domesticated animals is almost past belief, and 

 has unhappily brought reproach on his enlightened 

 colleagues. The amateur vet, however, intensifies 

 these sufferings. 



