ON THE CAUSES OF DISEASE. 35 



and glory of the nation. The science which we are laboring to 

 render popular is vast and boundless as the ocean ; and although 

 it has been explored by many distinguished scholars, it is capable 

 of unfolding new truths, and when the united intellect of intelli- 

 gent Americans shall be brought to bear upon it, will advance 

 with a rapidity truly astonishing. What the American people 

 have accomplished, during the past few years, in rendering other 

 sciences popular, is proof positive of what shall occur when the 

 current of investigation is directed to the science of veterinary 

 medicine and physiology. 



In the absence of educated veterinary surgeons throughout the 

 country, it is of vast importance that stock-owners generally 

 should study, as far as they can, the diseases to which their prop- 

 erty is subject, and acquire a knowledge of, at least, the ordinary 

 remedies. By doing so, thousands of dollars' worth of valuable 

 horses, cattle, and swine may be annually saved to the country, 

 and the intense misery which these poor brutes suffer frequently 

 be relieved. It is our object in this work to simplify the science 

 bo that it may be acquired, to a very useful extent, by any intel- 

 ligent man. If we shall succeed in enabling stock-owners to 

 practice the healing art on their dumb but faithful companions, 

 we shall feel that we have done a good work. 



Inflammation ; Its Nature and Treatment. — Inflammation is said 

 to consist of pain, heat, and redness. It is usually considered as 

 an enemy to the patient ; and we have been taught to subdue it 

 by means of bleeding and purging, at all hazards; and some 

 practitioners, when they undertake the job, generally succeed, 

 yet they lose the patient for their pains. 



Some writers have made inflammation cut up all manner of 

 pranks. It is now sanative in healing a wound or injury, in 

 repairing damages which occur in various parts of the animil 

 economy ; and in the same paragraph the writers declare that in- 

 flammation is the cause of nearly all the deaths that occur. This 

 is sheer nonsense, and will not stand the test of logic, nor the 

 daily experience of that practitioner who deals in fact, and does 

 his own thinking, independently of the dictum of some, of the 

 schools, and the ancient method of reasoning on false facts. A 

 distinguished medical reformer, writing on this subject, says? 

 " Numerous hypotheses or opinions respecting the true nature of 



