900 
THE HORSES OF THE PRUSSIAN ARMY. 
By G. Fleming, M.R.C.V.S., Royal Engineers. 
Perhaps at no time since the commencement of the 
present century, has a larger amount of attention been paid 
by nearly every nation to the efficient organisation of armies 
and the improvement in methods of conducting war, than 
within the last few years. The astounding catastrophe 
which has befallen two great military powers, and the mar¬ 
vellous success which has attended the arms of another, has 
perforce engaged the minds of military and even civil au¬ 
thorities, and caused endless inquiries and surmises as to 
what success depends upon, and what produces defeat in 
armies in the field. And certainly every one must be more 
or less interested—whether he be soldier or civilian—in 
what so closely concerns him, for war is now-a-days never 
very distant from us, it would seem; and the country which 
neglects preparation, which rests for security and good for¬ 
tune merely upon its traditions, is not only inviting disaster 
when it is compelled to go to war, but is actually in¬ 
curring the risk of originating war and soliciting attack. 
In all that concerns the maintenance of our national 
honour and prosperity, in all that relates to the preservation 
of the high qualities which have rendered our army second 
to none in every quarter of the globe, the British public is 
now more than ever engrossed. The members of the vete¬ 
rinary profession generally in this country must share largely 
in this intense interest and laudable patriotism; but to those 
who have fixed their career in the army, interest and pa¬ 
triotism are but convertible or synonymous terms for duty 
and responsibility. 
On the army veterinary surgeon of the present day a 
grave responsibility rests, not only while war is progressing, 
but during peace, in preparing for the exigencies of war. 
Though to all appearance a unit in the vast and compli¬ 
cated machine designated a modern army, yet, like some of 
the other units, important events may more or less depend 
upon his zeal and judgment, and the fate of armies, and even 
of his country, might hang upon the result of his perform¬ 
ing his duty intelligently and energetically. It would not 
be proper for me now to allude to the present position of the 
veterinary surgeons in Her Majesty’s Service, or to the very 
little encouragement held out to them to raise to the utmost 
of their power the efficiency of the British army, or to aid 
