102 ESSENTIALS OF VETERINARY LAW 
injury, for the recorder may have forgotten to 
make that record, especially in the case of small 
bones. Or the omission may be due. to the fact 
that the surgeon has not discovered it, because 
of his neglect. The fact that he records ‘‘no bones 
broken’’ is positive evidence as to his findings. 
Evidence of former injury should also be record- 
ed. It sometimes happens that unprincipled liti- 
gants charge old injuries against recent accidents. 
76. Amount of Compensation. The law im- 
plies an obligation to pay the reasonable value of 
medical services.27_ In an action for services of a 
veterinarian, plaintiff is entitled to recover ordi- 
nary and reasonable charges usually made for 
such services by members of the same profession 
of similar standing, but it is not admissible to 
show what the plaintiff charged another person for 
similar services, according to the opinion of a 
southern court.28 While this might be a correct 
ruling relative to wusual cases, it would seem 
not to be justified where his charges are generally 
known in the community, or where his fee bill is 
printed, as on his billheads. 
In an Arkansas case involving damages the at- 
tending surgeons were instrumental in effecting 
a compromise, but they were nevertheless forced 
to bring action for their services. The court said 
that where no amount has been agreed upon, each 
side may introduce evidence as to the value of 
the services, but it is an error to introduce evi- 
dence that the surgeons were instrumental in ef- 
27 Herndon v. City of Spring- 28 Marshall v. Bahnsen, 1 Ga. 
field, 137 Mo. App. 513, 119 App. 485, 57 S. E. 1006. 
S. W. 467. 
