8 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



suffer without treatment. Knowing this to be the case, is it not fa* 

 better for the stock-owner to have at his command the advice of veteri- 

 narians eminent in their profession than for him to follow the absurd, 

 often barbarous methods of treatment which have been handed down 

 by tradition from the empiricism and ignorance of long-past ages? 



It is an extremely difficult matter to divest medical literature of tech- 

 nical terms and expressions more or less incomprehensible to the gen- 

 eral reader. This has made scientific medicine a sealed book to the 

 masses of our people, and there is no subject of which they are more 

 ignorant. An attempt has been made in this work to present the mat- 

 ter in as simple language as possible, and while some of the authors 

 have been more happy than others in this respect, it is believed that 

 no great difficulty will be met with in any of the articles. 



While the subject has been treated in language of a more or less 

 popular style and the book is intended as a guide to the farmer, its in- 

 trinsic scientific value should not be entirely lost sight of In many 

 respects it is a notable contribution to existing knowledge, and it will 

 be prized by the veterinarian not less than by the farmer. No doubt 

 there are some defects in this first edition which the experience of the 

 future will enable us to remedy, but as a whole the book is one which 

 can not fail to be of immense service in educating horse-owners and in 

 hastening the adoption of humane and scientific treatment in the dis- 

 orders which afflict man's most patient and faithful servant. 



The illustrations have been very carefully drawn by Mr. Ilaines, the 

 greater part of the subjects being selected by Dr. Cooper Curtice. In 

 cases where they have been copied due credit has been given on the 

 plates, but it should be stated here that we are indebted to Dr. John S. 

 Billings, of the Army Medical Museum, for the use of the Auzoux models 

 and a number of specimens of diseased feet from which drawings were 

 made. 



Very respectfully, 



D. E. SALMON, 

 Chief of Bureau of Animal Industry. 



non. J. ^l. EusK, 



Sccrttary of Agriculture. 



