PAST AND PRESENT STATE OF VETERINARY SCIENCE. 223 
be confined, the past state of veterinary medicine may be divided 
into two distinct periods, — namely, darkness and light. 
The dark period comprehends that time in which the veterinary art 
was practised principally by the common blacksmith, who acted not 
upon anatomical and physiological principles, but was guided by 
certain nostrums, recipes, and observations, handed down from 
one generation to another ; who was sunk in the lowest depths of 
ignorance, and whose deeds were characterized by their absurdity 
and barbarity. The light comprehends that period from the 
establishment of a school of veterinary medicine to the present 
time, and during which much has been done towards raising the 
profession to the rank and station which it so justly deserves. 
During the dark period veterinary science may be said to have 
been at open sea without a compass, without a rudder. It was in- 
volved in the densest clouds of barbaric ignorance and superstition. 
To prove this position, hear what Thomas Blundevil says* : “ In 
my opinion the gall of a horse is subject to dyuers diseases as 
well as the gall of a man, as to obstruction whereof commeth 
fulnesse and emptynesse of the bladder thereof, and also the stone 
in the gall. But obstruction may chance in two manner of ways; 
first, when the way wherby the cholor should proceede from the 
lyuer unto the bladder of the gall as unto his proper receptacle is 
stopped, and therby the bladder remayneth empty, whereof may 
spring dyuers euills accidents, as vomiting, the lax or bloudy 
flux. — The stone in the gall, which is somewhat blackish, pro- 
ceedeth of the obstruction of the conduits of the bladder, wherby 
the cholor being long kept in, waxeth dry and turneth at length 
to harde grauell.” 
Again ; “ The most certain method for the cure of splents,” 
says Forsterf, “ is to bore with a small hot iron in several places 
through the splent to the bone ; then put a bit of sublimate into 
every hole, and bind on a pledget of basilicon, which will assist 
the caustics to throw off the adherence of the splent from the 
bone.” 
In addition to all this, their well-known belief in certain charms 
handed down from one generation to another — their pretensions 
to work certain mighty cures by the wondrous power of incanta- 
tion and magic — evidently prove that they must have been far too 
credulous, or superstitious, or dishonest, successfully to cultivate 
medical truth. 
* In a work entitled, “ The Order of Curing Horses’ Diseases, together 
with the Causes of sveh diseases, the sygnes howe to knowe them, and 
finally howe to cure the same. By Thomas Blundevil, Newton Flotman, 
in Norfolke, 1566.” 
t See “The Gentleman’s Experienced Farrier, by William Forster, 1786 ” 
page 323. 
