Viu INTRODUCTION. 



the advice of Lord Bacon, who says of the lecturer :— ;-"He 

 nmst be, not like the ant, collecting all things indiscrimin- 

 ately from all quarters as provender for his discourses ; nor 

 the spider, seeking no material abroad, but spinning his web 

 of speculative doctrine from within himself ; but rather the 

 bee, extracting crude honey from various flowers — storing it 

 up in the recesses of his brain, and submitting it to the ope- 

 ration of his intellectual faculties until it be matured and 

 ready for use." 



We have obtained our material from various sources — 

 particularly the book of daily observation and practical ex- 

 perience. The sound practical lectures of our late distin- 

 guished teacher, Professor Dick, of Edinburgh, and the deep 

 studied lectures of the late Professor John Barbow, also of 

 the Edinburgh Veterinary College, indelibly impressed on 

 our memory, have been freely used. The works of Percival, 

 Blain, Youat, Clarke, Coleman, and others, have also been 

 referred to ; and although, as will be seen, in some very im- 

 portant points ^e have been obliged to differ in opinion from 

 these learned authors, it must not be supposed that we under- 

 value their teachings ; but as the wheels of time roll on, and 

 every day brings some new light on science, the veterinary 

 no less than the medical profession makes rapid strides in tjhe 

 onward march of improvement. Many of the theories which 

 they in their day advocated and held to be correct are now 

 more clearly comprehended ; and we only do what they them- 

 selves would have done when we correct their erroneous views. 

 It is a familiar saying that "prevention is better than 

 cure ;" hence to know the means of preventing disease must 

 be more valuable even than curing it. 



