viii Preface 



kind are necessarily slow, and as there appeared no reason- 

 able prospect of covering within the space of one life the 

 ground I had mapped out, I was advised that only good 

 could result from placing on record what we do know of 

 veterinary physiology. 



I have, therefore, ventured, I know well how imperfectly, 

 to state the broad facts of the science, so as to render them 

 of use to the student and practitioner. The work does cot 

 pretend to be anything more than a stepping-stone to the 

 study of physiology ; for those requiring more detailed 

 information, reference must be made to the various text- 

 books of human and comparative physiology which are 

 available. 



Incomplete as the work is, it would have been still more 

 so but for the assistance I have received from my friend 

 Dr. Sheridan Lea, F.E.S., of Cains College, Cambridge, 

 who, at great personal inconvenience, has kindly read and 

 revised nearly all the sheets as they passed through the 

 press. In saying this, and expressing to him my very 

 great indebtedness, I in no way wish to shift the respon- 

 sibility for error or inaccuracy which may exist, but I feel 

 that whatever merit the book possesses is entirely due 

 to him. 



I have to thank Professor Michael Foster, F.E.S., for 

 the loan of many of the woodcuts which illustrate this 

 manual, and elsewhere I have acknowledged bow much I 

 owe to his encouragement. 



To my friend and colleague, Assistant- Professor Butler, 

 A.V.I )., my best thanks are due for assistance in revising 



