

PREFACE. 



At the end of 1895, the occupiers of land in the United King- 

 dom owned 2,093,000 horses, 10,781,000 cattle, 30,038,000 

 sheep, and 3,795,000 pigs. Large figures these, representing no 

 mean item in the nation's wealth ; figures, compared with 

 which the number of skilful, qualified veterinarians is 

 lamentably smalL Too often in country districts, remote 

 from towns, the great pecuniary interest in live stock is 

 largely at the mercy of ignorant pretenders whose surgery 

 is only equalled by their reckless and destructive drugging. 

 The constantly recurring instances of absolute and painful 

 poisoning, and cruel and injurious vivisections practised under 

 the name of remedial measures are almost sickening to con- 

 template. To give the stock owuer such information as will 

 enable him to dispense with the unprofitable and perilous 

 services of such pretenders, and to apply rational means ot 

 cure when he happens to be beyj^nd the reach of the accom- 

 plished veterinarian, is the aim of this book, and this it is 

 confidently hoped it will accomplish for all who will intelligently 

 study its pages. 



To secure this object and yet to place the book within the 

 reach of all, it was necessary to sacrifice all extended discussion 

 of diseased processes and questions in pathology, and therefore 

 the reader who may discover deviations from preconceived 

 opinions is requested to suspend his decision until he has 

 consulted larger and recent works, in which the reasons for 

 these positions will be found. 



