INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 25 



his unrelenting matter, was configned to addi- 

 tional and ufeiefs torture under the hands of an 

 ignorant and brutal farrier, who mangled his 

 devoted limbs with fenfelefs and inapplicable 

 operations, or drenched his body with naufeous 

 and unmeaning flops; of the merits of which, 

 the judgment of the doclor and his patient 

 were nearly upon a level. The broth of fod- 

 den whelps, dogs t--d and wine, chickens 

 guts, human ordure frefh from the alembic, 

 had not yet ceafed to be numbered among the 

 choiceft veterinary fpecifics ! 



At length arofe William Gibfon, deftined to 

 the honor of being the firft of his country- 

 men (and I believe of any country in Europe, 

 during the prefent century) who applied the 

 fcience of medicine to the brute creation, and 

 who promulged a regular fyftem of veterinary 

 practice, founded on the permanent bafis of 

 true medical principles. 



Gibfon was bred a furgeon, and lived in 

 Duke-ftreet, Grofvenor-fquare, as lately as the 

 year 1750, where he had praftifed veterinary 

 medicine for many years. He had ferved (if I 

 am rightly informed) as furgeon to Colonel 

 Churchill's regiment of horfe, in Oueen Anne's 

 wars, when, it is to be prefumed, he firft ob- 

 tained a knowledge of the difeafes of horfes; 

 and as his veterinary practice continued after- 

 wards for upwards of forty years, and was at 



fome 



