vill RECACE, 
Persons who have paid any attention to the rise and progress 
of veterinary science in this country, are painfully aware of its 
great imperfections, and the author’s object in preparing this work 
is to endeavor to lessen and remove them, by giving the reader 
the benefit of an experience which extends through a period of 
twenty-five years. 
Tn view of furnishing reliable ‘formation, and of showing how 
little of medicine is required for the treatment of various forms 
of discase, a number of cases, recorded in the author’s note-book, 
are introduced in various parts of the work. These cases may, 
perhaps, also give the unprejudiced reader juster views of the 
relations of nature and art to diseases; for it is a notorious fact 
that very many well-instructed persons of all classes have hith- 
erto exercised a blind faith in the medical art for the cure of dis- 
ease, when it is a fact well known to those who practice rational 
medicine that Nature possesses vastly greater powers than Art in 
curing diseases. What is here meant by nature, is the conserva- 
tive power inherent in the living body. For a better understand- 
ing of this subject, the reader is referred to the works of Sir Jonn 
Forses, Ottver W. Houmes, and Professor BrcErow. 
In view of aiding nature in the cure of disease, the author has 
introduced to the reader’s attention a new class of remedies, viz. : 
Fluid Extracts of a sanative character. They have proved more 
safe and efficacious in the practice of rational medicine than all 
the other heroic arms of physic. 
These remedies have been carefully tested for several years by 
the author, and those students who have, from time to tine, placed 
themselves under his instruction, and the result has been very 
satisfactory ; otherwise, they would not be recommended in this 
work. 
Finally, the author feels it due to himself to state that the 
almost constant occupation of his time, professionally, has given 
him less opportunity than he desired for the production of this 
work, yet he entertains a hope that he has not labored in vain; 
and thus this mite is cast into the common treasury of Veterinary 
Science. 
G. H. D. 
