REVIEWS. 
171 
is that, instead of enlightening the court and jury hy their 
testimony, the medical witnesses only embarrass their minds, 
and this especially defeats the ends of justice.” 
Veterinary medicine, in its influence upon the health of 
the live stock of a country, is alluded to by Dr. Gross, in the 
latter part of his report, in terms which clearly indicate his 
conviction of the importance of a scientific and liberal educa¬ 
tion for the man whose duty it is to attend to the complaints 
of the lower animals as well as for him whose higher privi¬ 
lege it is to devote himself to relieving the pains of his 
fellow-creatures. In respect of American veterinary institu¬ 
tions he says: 
Our country has, thus far, made little progress in the 
education and proper training of veterinary physicians and 
surgeons. Most of the persons known as such, at the pre¬ 
sent day, are wholly ignorant even of the first principles of 
the art and science of veterinary medicine; they are the 
merest pretenders and charlatans, utterly unfit for the exercise 
of their important duties; in a word, they are simply a dis¬ 
grace to their profession. Of the few veterinary colleges to 
he found in this country there is hardly one that is organized 
upon a proper basis. Europe, in this respect, is far in 
advance of us. \yhile we have kept pace in medical science 
and practice with the most civilised and refined nations of 
the Old World, we have done literally nothing for veterinary 
medicine and surgery.” 
Upon the subject of veterinary literature Dr. Gross gives 
the following statistics, which do not place England in the 
most favorable light. 
‘‘ Up to 1863, over 3000 works had appeared on veterinary 
medicine and surgery. Of these Germany has supplied 809, 
Erance 433, Italy 183, Spain 103, England 164, and America 
about one dozen ! Some of these productions are well known 
and highly appreciated. The treatises of the late Mr. Youatt, 
of England, enjoy a world-wide reputation; and the ^ Dic¬ 
tionary of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery ’ of Hurtrel 
D’Arboval, of which a new edition only recently appeared at 
Paris in six large octavo volumes, is a monument of industry, 
research, and erudition precious alike to vetei inary and 
human medicine. 
“ Among the latest and most esteemed German works upon 
the subject are those of Hertwig, Talker, Roll, and Spinola. 
The treatise of Mr. Gamgee upon the rinderpest as it re¬ 
cently prevailed in England is a production of great labour 
and merit, afibrding the most complete history of that terrible 
and destructive malady that has ever appeared. 
