INTRODUCTION. 



J."^ ARPtlERY, ill an enlarged sense (now usually 

 c'dlied tlie Veterinary Art), is the art ot' curing the 

 diseases of the horse and other domestic aiiimals; and, 

 as these animals are essential to our comfort, so this 

 must be a very important subject, and nuist interest 

 every part of mankind. Tiiis art may be said to be 

 learned in two ways, which, with a little latitude of 

 expression, may be called, the one, — the scientific or 

 regular mode ; and tlie other, the domestic or imitative 

 mode. 



Tlie scientijic mode of lemming fm^iery is that which 

 all persons intending to practise extensively on the 

 animals of others, as farriers or veterinary surgeons, 

 should adopt; and without which their exertions can 

 never be crowned with much success, or eminence re- 

 ward their labours. This mode of curing the diseases 

 of domestic animals can only be gained by an intimate 

 acquaintance with anatomi/, p/wsiologi/, chemistri/, 

 j}hq,rmaci/, and the materia medica. When the vete- 

 rinary art is learned in this manner, the practice of it 

 requires no set rules, no ready-formed prescriptions or 

 recipes ; but the mind of tlie practitioner is enabled to 

 meet anv case that mav occur, and to act on it from 

 well-grounded principles. This, therefore, is by far 

 the most important and useful mode, and, m fact, is 

 the only one by which either farriers who practise on 

 tiie anhnals of others, or amateurs who practise exten- 



sivelv.onand examine attentively their own, should 



^ -' .... . 



uct. Tiie importance of this scientific investigation 



