47 
ON THE VETERINARY MATERIA MEDICA. 
while others admitted not more than halt a dozen, and, somewhat 
incautiously, had publicly spoken of carrying in the pocket every 
drug that would or could be wanted—when several substances on 
which practitioners of experience and character placed no little 
reliance as accomplishing a certain indication of cure, were de¬ 
clared by others to have an almost opposite eflect, and 1 ejected 
by a third party as totally inert, he could adopt no other plan 
than to consider the different articles of the supposed veterinary 
materia medica in an alphabetical order. This strange contrariety 
of opinion evinced the necessity of the lectures which he had pie- 
sumed to undertake, but necessarily confined him to an humble 
and somewhat inconvenient arrangement. 
He would include in his list every Substance the use of which 
had been recorded by English or continental veterinary writers, or 
concerning which he could obtain any information among his con¬ 
tinental brethren. He would compare these opinions with each 
other, and with his own experience ; and the student and the pro¬ 
fession would be better able to appreciate the value of the weapons 
by which derangement and disease could be successfully combat- 
His plan would embrace the botanical or mineralogical classi¬ 
fication, the natural and chemical history—the mode of prepa¬ 
ration—the medicinal effects—the combinations and doses of each, 
with reference to every patient of the veterinary surgeon. The 
adulterations of drugs, too frequently practised, would not be for¬ 
gotten, with the best methods of detecting and obviating them. 
The veterinary materia medica, in an enlarged yet perfectly 
correct view of it, would include the different substances used to 
feed or fatten every class of domesticated animals; their natural 
history ; their relative value for each class either generally, or under 
particular circumstances, or to effect particular purposes ; and the 
best and most profitable mode of cultivation. He trusted that 
these lectures would form, so far as the present state of science ad¬ 
mitted, a useful and not incomplete system of veterinary chemis¬ 
try, therapeurics, and husbandry. 
The first substance in alphabetical order was the Acacia Ca¬ 
techu, Class 23, Order 1. Polygamia, Moncecia. 
Here some preliminary explanation was evidently necessary, 
and he should avail himself of the opportunity to give a brief out¬ 
line of the physiology of vegetables :—They formed the lowest 
class of animated beings. They evidently possessed the principle 
of life, but with those faculties only which were indispensable to 
its existence. . . 
All plants had the power of nutrition. They could assimilate 
foreign matters to their own substance : hence they grew.—1 here 
