388 ACCOUNT OF THE FRENCH VETERINARY SCHOOLS. 
their severity, and more easily subdued. Young* men from every 
province of France flocked to the newly-established school; and 
the governments of Switzerland, Sardinia, Austria, Prussia, and 
even Denmark and Sweden, sent many young men to be in¬ 
structed in this new and most useful art, the treatment of the 
diseases of domestic animals. 
In the third year of its existence the institution at Lyons was 
taken more immediately under the protection of the Sovereign, 
and was called the Royal Veterinary School; and in the fol¬ 
lowing year it was determined to establish another and larger 
school in the more northern part of the kingdom, and in the 
immediate neighbourhood of Paris. Late in the year 1765, the 
Chateau d’Alfort was purchased* Bourgelat lost not an instant 
of time; but dispatched some of his best pupils to Paris, who 
diligently employed themselves in accumulating all the ne¬ 
cessary anatomical preparations; and in 1766 the veterinary 
college at Alfort was opened, under the direction of Bourgelat. 
Soon afterwards it was determined that every regiment of 
cavalry should be compelled to send a young man to Alfort to 
be instructed in the veterinary art; and it had been previously 
ordained, that every pupil who had resided four consecutive 
years at the school, should be permitted to practise his profession 
m every part of the kingdom, under an especial brevet from the 
king. 
The institution at Lyons continued to flourish; but that at 
Alfort being, as it w ere, attached to the metropolis and the go¬ 
vernment, was more especially patronized. 
The system of instruction, however, pursued in these schools 
was not, and could not at first be expected to be, perfect. It 
was of a strangely heterogeneous character. In the study of the 
exterior of animals, too frequent and too lengthened lessons 
were given on drawing, on painting, and even on sculpture; 
as expressing the anatomy, the proportions, the general and 
individual character, and even the passions of animals. The 
improvement of the veterinary surgeon was in a manner com¬ 
promised in the education of the artist. Beside this, the vete¬ 
rinary pupils were prepared to act as substitutes for the human 
surgeon, in case they should settle in villages remote from any 
large town, and where medical aid could not be easily obtained. 
A complete course of lectures on midwifery was delivered to 
them; and also surgical lectures, so far as the treatment of 
fractures and wounds was concerned. The inconveniencies, 
however, of this intermingling of professions was soon apparent, 
and the attention of the pupils was confined to that which would 
constitute their proper and peculiar duty. During the winter 
