Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-03-28


DR.. CresSy's Lectures at Burlington.
The value of the lectures on veterinary
science, now in course of delivery ut the
Medical College in Burlington, can hardly
he over-estimated. The editor thought
them sufficiently important to attend and
report them for the readers of this paper
Beside the description of, and remedies
for, the various diseases treated of, (Which
should be put in the scrap book to be made
ayailable), the knowledge gained of the
anatomy, the framework Where the disease
is located, can hardly fail of giving one a
more intelligent idea of the causes of dis
ease, and the proper rational treatment Of
them. We give this week several of his
lectures on comparative anatomy, and the
diseases and treatment of the horse:
Veterinary Science.
TIE UNIVERSITY COURSE OF VETERINARY
LECTURES BY PROF. CREssY, AT TIE
MEDICAL COLLEGE, AT BURLINGTON.
NO. II.
Prof. Cressv, in his second lecture, en-
.ered uron the systematic and detailed
treatment of his subject. The Veternar-
ian, he said, must understand Anatomy,
which is the science of structure Of organ
lied bodies and which therefore includes
vegetable and animal structures. The
branch of Anatomy having specially to do
with the latter, is called ZoOtomy, and is
divided into Human and Comparative An
atomv. The first teaches of the structure
of man, and the Comparative of all crca-
lures below him.
The analogy between the human struc-
ture and that of the animal is 50 close that
the philosophers are not vet decided us to
where the human ends ard the animal be-
gins. The arm of the ape is longer than
in man, and the arm of the average negro
is longer than that of the average white
man, as was shown in the war when it was
found that the sleeves of the army coats
must be cut longer for the colored regi-
ments. We find in some men the thir-
teenth rib as in the monkey; and it is
difficult to divide the two, in the skeleton,
by any perfect distinct line of demarka-
ton.
Coming down to the study of ostcoIogy,
or the part of anatomy which treats of the
bony framework, we find that all vertebrate
animals may be divided into u series Of
transverse segments, or vertebrN. The
vertebrp is the unit Of the structure. 1t is
composed of the centrum or bony center
OF the spinal column. From this extend
the spinous processes, two of which Join
and enclose the neural cavity, in which Is
the spinal marrow, while others in some
parts of the frame extend into ribs which
enclose the h@mal cavity, in which are the
great blood vessels. The number of ribs
vary, us do the number of vcrtebr@, in
different animals. The regular humber
in man is twelve on side, but we some
times find an abnormal case in which an
additional rib has been thrown out from
one of the lumbar vertebrH; and some
times one from one of the ccrvical vertebr@.
In the alligator, ribs are attached to all the
cervical vertebrH, extending up to the
skull. There may be l8 or 10 ribs in Il
horse. The difference in number was once
supposed to Indicate difference in species
but we find that the horse having the 10Th
rib, generally has one less in number of
lumbar vertebrM; and tits otherwise plain
'i'',' VIZ ~ ~
nrocessos oC tbe lnmbnr vertebrm. We
trace lhe TYNE If fine vertebro,. in the
homes of the pelvi, and even thn head hos
hnnn dividod into fnnr vsrtehro The
roccvoool homes which in nan IRE undn-
vnloned vortohrm in the monknv hccomp
tho cond.I vprtoh, q, orentor or less in
numhpr. and in the snake NAV he num.
berad Inv ecorns In the whale norlions
of fine shine are NOT divisIble into separate
vortpbrm hnt tbo nIocos whore N,tnrn ne
if were BEGAN the division. which was NOT
comnleted are shown in cans like saw
cuts in the hone In same old saddle
horse. we find the sninal yertcbrm GROWN
tooether. the result of prolonged n,essure
and IRRITATION If fine SHINE.
some Of the differences in strucIuro
mentioned Inv Prof Crcssv were illustrated
Inv him. Inv snecimcns of The human skele.
ton and 0f tho s,olotone of thn p,onlov
and other animals The lertnrn inrlnrod
MANY mottars Of tochnical drt,iI to bn
found in the textbooks, and to which we
need NOT give snaco in n rrnort intended
chiaAv CoT non-nr ofeeyionol ra,dors
NO. III.
Prof Cressy in his third lecture treated
of the comparative anatomy Of the cX-
tremities. In birds the wish-bonc is II
modification of the collar bone in man.
In some species these bones We're not
united to form one continuous bone us we
see in domestic fowls, but is connected by
cartilage. In fishes the pcctoral fins are
homologous TO the arms in man, the fore
feet of quadrupeds and wings OF birds
In some, the hand or foot is webbed, in
others separated fishes and aquatic birds
give the webbed type, while the flyirg
squirrel in addition to having the fingers
partly Joined, has flap or fold of skin al,
tached TO the forearm serving partially
the purpose of wings.
In the embryonic state the hands of the
human species are webbed, and instances
sometimes occur in which they are born
SO, and when this occurs it is IL .reversion
to IL lower type of animal life, in which
this condition is normal. The bones of
the upper arm and leg are homologous in
the different species.
In the forearm more difference is
shown. In all carnivora, or flesh eating
animals, the bones are SEPARATE as in the
arm OF man, by which the hand is made
and 6nlJ it, rn"J IN no I hors" nJ ' bn"
L;,ro,o or ct,..,ssloot;no. n,,in,oir ,,i' Il,a,,