Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1888-09-04
VETERINARY SCIENCE.


'""""''"i Erosfess MnHe IN tho Trcnt-
mcnt of Animal Diseases.
ID. &. COmstock, NJ. D.. secretary of
the faculty of the New York College
OF Veterinary Surgeons. was recently
asked fog his views on tho progress Of
veterinary science. He replied: "Il
the early days when horse was taken
sick any hostler or stable-man was
considered perfectly competent to
treat the animal; his advice was asked
and followed 1t is very different
now A sick horse has regular vet
erinaran 10 attend him, the same as II
SICK man has n regular physician 10
attend him. Diseases arc better un-
derstand now than they were former
ly. Tho therapeutic value of certain
drugs now used for horses was not
known twenty years ago except 10 n
few foreign practitioners. Horses
suffer from many of the same diseases
that aill ct man. This is not surpris-
ing when we consider how closely
men and animals are connected. For
instance, almost ov cry thing wo know
about either the physiological or
pathological action of medicine is
drawn from experiments made on tho
lower animals, dogs, cats. horses,
oxen. etc. They have pneumonia,
pleurisy, inflammation of the bowels,
colic-especially the red collie (when
occurring in man called enteritis).
which is one of the most fatal diseases,
killing horse quicker than n man.
Horses frequently suffer from heart
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of tho heart,
irregular action of the valves, angina
pectorls, or Inflammation of the cover
ings around the heart. They have
brain disease, and ono of the most
dangerous animals in tho world is n
horse with acute inflammation of the
brain. l have seen them tear their
stalls all TO pieces. This dreadful
disease is brought on by sunstrolle.
and sometimes by damp stalls and
generally bad hygienic conditions.
Medicine is given to horses in liquid
form and also as pills, and is forced
down the throat through n speculum.
after the mouth has been opened with
the same instrument.
"a horse that is lazy can sham sick
ness just the same as n man. l once
owned n horse who. whenever he took
n notion TO take an extra rest, would
limp slowly out of the stable and make
believe he was lame.
"Ihe profession of veterinary sur
geon is an excellent one for young
men. 1t is profession that is not
overcrowdcd, and the young man who
has the necessary capabilities and the |
requisite amount of push needed in
any avocation will almost always find !
plenty TO do. Our Government is,
however slower than it should be in |
recognizing the value of this class of
professional men. In tho regular /
army veterinary surgeons are cassed
as farriers and taken in tho ranks as
men. Their pay is from S75
TO $lOO month. In private practice
the rates of the veterinary surgeon are
tho same as those of the medical
The need of skllful men
who know how to treat intelligen tly
the diseases of animals is shown by n
few statistics giving the number and
value Of some of the domestic animals
in the United States. These statistics
were taken four years ago. There
were then in the Ulited States 10 S3S. =
Ill horses. valued at S765 04l 30S;
S7l 079 mules, valued at Sl4S. 1872.
800; IS 125 6S5 milch cows. valued at
1896, $50 405 and 2S 046, or oxen and
,ther cattle, valued at $611. $40. 1863
From 1873 to 1882 tho estimated loss
rom pleuro-pneumonia alone was
SO. 900 600 IN T. Cor Sacramento
Bee.