2 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
to the tender mercies of an untutored blacksmith, who although 
by practice he may be extremely competent to shoe or bleed a 
horse, is, nevertheless, most unlikely to be able to administer 
relief to animals whose physical constitutions are subject to 
as many and complicated diseases, as humanity itself. 
In France and Italy the importance of the cure of the 
diseases of horses and cattle was first manifested upwards 
of two centuries ago ; and professorships established for the 
art of farriery, as a medical and surgical science, and gra¬ 
dually the persons who professionally studied and practised 
this art assumed the names of Veterinary Surgeons. This 
term, although but recently adopted, is of great antiquity, 
having been in general use among the Latins. 
It is, however, surprising that in Great Britain, where our 
domestic animals are of such vast importance, it is only 
very lately that schools and professorships for the study of 
the Veterinary art have been established; and not half a 
century ago, the surgeons of our cavalry regiments adminis¬ 
tered medicine to horses as well as to the soldiers. But the 
study of Comparative Anatomy soon rendered it manifest 
that a totally different course of study became necessary 
for the treatment of animals whose internal organization 
was so different from that of the human being; and now 
every horse regiment has its Veterinary Surgeon. All great 
towns, and many small ones also, possess medical and surgical 
practitioners, whose sole attention is devoted to the cure of 
domestic animals; these gentlemen having attended and 
acquired diplomas from the Veterinary Colleges for their 
knowledge and capability to practise the arts. 
The intention of the following treatise is not to take the 
practice out of the hands of regular Veterinary Surgeons, 
but to serve as a ready manual to those living in the country 
or even in towns, to give them a general idea of the disease* 
