Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-30

The writer extends a farewell in this is
sue to the readers of this department.
With this final letter he wishes to send
greetings to all who have followed the rec
ord of his twenty-five years experience
in live stock breeding, feeding. and de-
veloping of the domestic animals of the
south.
TO those who do not stop in the ardu-
Gus duties of life to think of the needless
suffering of dumb creatures he hopes some
words he has spoken in this column may
give eyes to see, and ears to hear, and
hearts to feel the misery about us. Mis-
cry" that few tongues have voiced, and
few pens emphasized. Misery to
our helpless, animals in the cot
ton states resulting largely from
dependence on the barbarous negro
for food, drink and care, in sickness and
in health. Misery" too. from following
advice of quack veterinarians, or those IN
skilled and ignorant, without experience
or scientific training whose victim is the
dumb sufferer. Much of the veterinary
practice of the rural south should be rele-
gated to the dark ages with the thumb
screw and the rack. The writer has tried
to convince correspondents that the red
hot iron, the knife and the blister, and
many compounds of drugs prescribed are
generally productive of agony and not re-
lief s -7
In this department the inquirer has al
ways been told frankly when remedies
were useless. In this way unnecessary
pain has been saved the animal and uIl-
necessary expense the owner. This Is
contrary TO the usage OF most OF the veter-
mary editors of the American agricultural
papers and live stock journals.
The writer hardly knows of a veterinari-
an who win not give prescription for any
and all diseases whether the patient be
injured or benefited thereby.
Those peculiar southern ailments wholly
unknown to northern practitioners ex-
cept by hearsay, are prescribed for
through the veterinary columns OF the
average stock papers with as much assur-
ance as the well known northern and Eu-
ropean diseases Of animals. To one rea-
sonably familiar with the action Of medi-
cines, nothing is easier than to assign
every ailment to a class of diseases, and
then following the teaching OF the phar-
macopoeia give prescription.
Holding the belief that southern stock
raisers could only be benefited by use Of
remedies known and tried to be efficacious
under southern conditions, the writer has
never advised any but those his own ex-
peFience had proven.
He has answered the inquirer from the
point Of view Of the breeder of costly ami
mails, rather than that of the paid veteri-
nary That some valuable lives have been
saved and some pain mItigated and some
peouniarY loss aYerted, he hopes and be-
lieyes in closing his two years effort.
He had in prospect a treatise on the
horses and sheep in England, ireland,
France and the Channel islands from his
own observations there. but time and
space never were at his command after
the urgent letters of inquiry were answer
ed. -t -..- .+..... ........
He realizes that breeding and study Of
live stock in the north gives the average
northern self-asserting man a biased view
point of the southern field. lake the sci
entists, IL a life be half lived out seeing
but one side Of the question, the scholar,
no matter of how great mental ability,
never can see the other side or grasp the
whole.
The writer claims It Is his good fortune
to have seen, grasped and endeavored to
share in the advancement of true scien-
tihe treatment Of diseases and to have
given the readers of his column faithfully
the results.
In retiring he wishes to thank every one
who has read his thoughts as they have
weekly been presented. He is indebted
to all who have asked him questions
through the paper. Every inquiry has af-
forded him pleasure to answer.
No work of an arduous and busy life
has been more enjoyed than that done by
the writer through the Atlanta Journal.
B. w. HUNT.