PREFACE. y{\ 



It has been the aim constantly to set forth the princi- 

 ples that underlie the management of the dog in health 

 and his treatment in disease, as by this course the individ- 

 ual reader is left free to exercise his own judgment while 

 guided by a sort of mariner's compass the construction of 

 which is based on the well-ascertained laws of life. It has 

 further been the writer's aim to bring the book thoroughly 

 up to date in all respects — hence the illustrations represent 

 noted dogs of the day ; and the medical principles and 

 practice are modern and adapted to the real nature of the 

 dog himself, and not to that of some other animal unlike 

 him, as the horse, etc. 



At the same time it has been thought well, so far as 

 drugs are concerned, to avoid reference to such medicines 

 as are now on trial merely, and with the virtues and dan- 

 gers of which we are as yet but indifferently acquainted as 

 regards man, much less the dog. This applies especially 

 to that now large class known as antipyretics. They should 

 be carefully tried on the dog by the expert ; but to recom- 

 mend them explicitly in a work of this kind seemed to 

 the author hazardous. 



But, leaving out of account the second part of the 

 work, the first part will, it is thought, be in itself a valu- 

 able treatise on a new basis — i. e., a more rational basis 

 — on the dog as he exists to-day. It has been the 

 writers constant endeavor to give the reason for every 

 procedure. 



Being deeply convinced that a work on the dog with- 

 out good illustrations is of comparatively little value, es- 

 pecial pains have been taken to furnish models for judg- 

 ing the various breeds of dogs in the full-page plates, 



