98 
JOHN R. HART. 
tion, a small amount of urea. The skin is thus an excretory 
organ, serving to remove gaseous, liquid and solid waste pro¬ 
ducts. It is also influenced by the mental condition, by medi¬ 
cines, by poisons. 
Treatment presents to the veterinarian two grand prob¬ 
lems for his solution ; first to discover its nature, and, second, to 
devise its cure. A knowledge, therefore, of the disease examined 
as well as those with which it may be confounded is essential. 
Diagnosis lies before us as the basic principle of the practice 
of medicine. An intelligent conception of a disease is a prere¬ 
quisite to the application of the medicines necessary to effect its 
removal and also to prevent confounding it with others whose 
resemblance to the particular disease makes it difficult to dis¬ 
tinguish them. Its complications must be guarded against; its 
character, which subjects it to various accidental influences must 
be carefully considered and thoroughly known. The man who 
is equipped with such knowledge, with the principles applicable 
and with sound discretion and judgment enjoys immeasurable 
advantages over him who lacks them, or whose mind is so pre¬ 
occupied by theory as to make intelligent treatment a difficult 
if not impossible task. The treatment in one stage may be of 
no avail in the other. This is plainly demonstrated by. the 
consensus of opinion of the different veterinarians in their modes 
of treatment. Some bleed with success, while others condemn 
this practice ; some purge in all cases, some in only a few. With 
a success that varies, some treatment may be in place and some 
most decidedly out of place. The per cent, of recoveries should 
demonstrate and guide us as to the proper mode of treatment. 
There was a time when veterinarians carried a ball of aloes 
and calomel with them when called to a case that showed a dis¬ 
position to constipation, with sluggish gait or stiffness in the 
limbs, as the owner put it. The ball was given with most 
excellent results, often requiring no other treatment. This was 
the time when one or two balls were given once or twice 
yearly. While it was an old rut in my mind, it was a good 
one that would perhaps be well to practice in this day of theory. 
