3 92 ACCOUNT OF THE FRENCH VETERINARY SCHOOLS. 
ble and useless performance, the removal of a cataract. These 
branches of medical study took the same course as the others, 
and were speedily abandoned. One somewhat more legitimate 
branch of surgical treatment remained—a kind of border ground 
between the two professions, and which the veterinarian might 
cultivate without impropriety, or rather with advantage to him¬ 
self and numerous patients, viz. the treatment of wounds inflicted 
by rabid or venemous animals. 
One bad consequence, however, followed from all this. The 
attention of the director had been diverted from the strict pursuit 
of veterinary science. He had wandered far into the regions of 
human surgery, and he now began to trespass on those of zoology 
and comparative anatomy. First came the attempt to form a 
menagerie, composed, in the beginning, of the different breeds of 
domesticated animals from every neighbouring country, that it 
migdit be tried how far the native breeds of France might be im¬ 
proved. This, although suiting more an agricultural than a vete¬ 
rinary establishment, was pardonable. The different breeds of 
'cattle and sheep, and the improvement of the breed, were legiti¬ 
mate objects of the veterinarian’s study. But a wider and com¬ 
paratively useless course of experiment succeeded; wild animals 
were collected and crossed with the tame ; and then wild animals 
of every species, and from every country, began to be sought 
after. Every thing was procured that could cast any light on 
comparative anatomy and physiology, but comparative pathology 
was little thought of. A splendid menagerie and museum were 
thus formed, useful and valuable, but little useful and valuable to 
simple veterinarians. So hobbyhorsically was the new hobby¬ 
horse ridden, that M. Chabert and a troop of his pupils betook 
themselves to St. Malo to collect, and dissect, and preserve the 
different species of fish that the French coast afforded. 
Then chemistry,—not pharmaceutical or veterinary chemistry, 
but agricultural chemistry in the widest sense of the word—che¬ 
mistry unlimited, was a favourite object of pursuit, and pursued at 
a very great expense. After that, experiments were made on rural 
economy ;—the different manures;—the succession of crops, and 
the comparative nutritive properties of vegetables. Chabert was a 
scientific but too highly imaginative man. In the minister Bertin 
he found a kindred spirit; and between them they were forming 
a noble institution identified with the glory and interest of France, 
but not a veterinary institution. The anatomy and diseases of 
the horse and cattle were neglected,—almost abandoned; not, 
indeed, neglected or abandoned by the professors, for they were 
true to duty : they continued to lecture earnestly on the proper 
subjects of their course; they remonstrated warmly and repeatedly 
