Ixiv Rush^ on studying the diseases of Animals. 



For a while your knowledge in this branch of science, must 

 be acquired by reading, observation and experiments ; for as 

 yet no societies or schools have been established for culti- 

 vating, or teaching it in the United States. 



In all other countries, it has accompanied the advanced 

 stages of civilization. In Greece and Rome, the necessity 

 of offering such animals only in sacrifice, as were perfectly 

 sound, added to the motives for taking care of their health. 

 The Arabians cultivated veterinary medicine with nearly the 

 same zeal that they did the medicine of the human body. In 

 France and Germany the health of domestic animals, has for 

 many years been a part of the studies of regular bred physi- 

 cians. In St. Domingo, a society called the '^ Philadel- 

 phians," was established many years ago, consisting chiefly 

 of physicians, whose principal business w^as to investigate and 

 cure, what they called epizootic diseases, that is the diseases 

 of domestic animals. They favoured the w^orld with one 

 valuable publication upon them., before the civil war in that 

 island put an end both to their labours and their name. 



A veterinaiy school has been lately established in London, 

 under the patronage of some of the most respectable noble- 

 men, private gentlemen, and physicians in the British na- 

 tion. Already it has diffused a great deal of knowledge 

 through Great Britain, particularly of the diseases of the 

 horse. Of this knowledge, a considerable portion has fallen 

 to the share of the farmers and farriers, much to the advan- 

 tage of that noble animal !* 



V/hile I lament the want of a veterinary institution in our 

 country, I am happy in an opportunity of mentioning that the 

 diseases of domestic animals have not escaped the notice of 

 the agricultural society of Philadelphia. They have recom- 



*The Dublin society of arts have lately established a professorship of the 

 veterinary art, and endowed it with a salary of fifty pounds a year, with 

 a dwelling house for the professor, (Dr, Peel,) valued at sixty-six pounds, 

 sterling a year. Carr's Stranger in Ireland, p. 29. 



