1/4 History of Animal Plagues. 



human medicine. Until the middle of the century, in France, 

 and indeed in every other country where the health of the 

 domestic animals was at all cared for, those who ministered 

 to their maladies were generally most incompetent for that 

 office — being farriers (horse-shoers), shepherds, butchers, grooms, 

 coachmen, and charlatans of every description, whose ignorance 

 made them bold, but who, in the majority of instances, only 

 added to the misery of their patients. Those who really in- 

 tended to devote themselves to acquire a knowledge of animal 

 diseases, took lessons from some one of these men who had ac- 

 quired a reputation for superior skill. These individuals were 

 generally to be found attached to the great stables belong- 

 ing to kings or noblemen, or to regiments of cavalry. Not- 

 withstanding the very meagre education they acquired, it was 

 sometimes noted that distinguished men originated from these 

 somewhat barren sources. But in reality the veterinary art 

 was in a most unsatisfactory state until 1762. In this year 

 M. Bourgelat, an advocate, seeing the great havoc caused by 

 cattle and other animal plagues, was the means of establishing 

 the first veterinary school at Lyons ; and to this zealous veter- 

 inarian is due the honour of being the founder of modern 

 scientific research, as applied to the medicine of the lower ani- 

 mals. The following year, the French government, ever in 

 advance, and ever ready to befriend science, instituted the 

 veterinary college now at Alfort, near Paris. By means of the 

 great liberality exercised towards this institution, it became the 

 focus of veterinary science and the parent of all other institu- 

 tions established for a similar purpose, and it has remained since 

 that time the first in the world. Many of its professors and 

 graduates have afforded invaluable assistance in promoting their 

 science, and some of them have greatly distinguished themselves 

 in inquiries pertaining to epiozootic maladies. A third govern- 

 ment school was founded at Toulouse, and soon after Vienna 

 had a national college established by order of Maria Theresa, 

 which, remodelled and reorganized by Joseph II., is now the 

 largest in Germany. Prussia quickly followed ; for in 1768, so 

 severely had that country suffered from animal plagues, that the 

 illustrious Cothenius, physician to the King of Prussia, brought 



