66 ESSENTIALS OF VETERINARY LAW 
general scientific knowledge is practically nothing. 
Essentially the practice of the veterinarian is 
in no wise inferior to that of the practitioner 
among human beings. It requires even a wider 
scientific knowledge, for it deals with many kinds 
of animals, each differing from the others far more 
than the difference between human beings. The 
veterinarian also deals with them in a greater 
variety of ways, for he must keep constantly in 
mind the many possible uses of the animals with 
which he deals. His problems of disease restric- 
tion are greater. Today the body of competent 
veterinarians is small in the United States. Para- 
doxical as it may seem, restrictions upon the prac- 
tice will tend to increase this small nucleus, by 
eliminating the degrading elements. 
While the question as to what shall be consid- 
ered illegal practice of veterinary medicine and 
surgery will depend upon the wording of the 
special statutes of the individual states, and in 
this country there may have been no judicial 
determination of that point, there have been some 
decisions in England which will serve as prece- 
dents for American cases. A farrier who is not 
registered as a veterinary surgeon, nor certified 
by the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scot- 
land, violates the law by using the sign ‘‘Veter- 
inary Forge’’ on his premises, or on his bill- 
heads.°? Also one who was not on the register of 
Veterinary Surgeons, nor a holder of the certifi- 
cate of the H. and A.S. of Scotland, put out a sign 
‘‘Canine Specialist. Dogs and Cats treated for 
53 Royal College of Veteri- L. J. C. 146 (1892), 1 Q. B. 
nary Surgeons y. Robinson, 61 557. 
