The American Reformed Cattle Doctor: Containing the necessary information for preserving the health and curing the diseases of oxen, cows, sheep, and swine, with a great variety of original recipes, and valuable information in reference to farm and dairy managementDadd, George H.
Science
The American Reformed Cattle Doctor: Containing the necessary information for preserving the health and curing the diseases of oxen, cows, sheep, and swine, with a great variety of original recipes, and valuable information in reference to farm and dairy management
Dadd, George H.
Veterinary medicine
We hear a great deal said about sending young men from this country to
Europe to acquire the principles of the veterinary art, with a view to
public teaching. Now, it appears to us that the United States can boast
of as great a number of talented physicians, as well qualified to soon
learn and understand the fundamental principles of the veterinary art,
as their brethren of the old world. There is no country, probably, that
can boast of such an amount of talent, in every department of
literature and art, in proportion to the population, as the United
States. We know that the veterinary art, with one exception, had its
existence from human practitioners, received their fostering care and
attention, and grew with their growth. Have we not the materials, then,
in this country, to educate and qualify young men to practise this
important branch of science? Most certainly. Just send a few to us, for
example, and if we do not impart to them a better system of medication
than that practised in Europe, by which they will be enabled to treat
disease with more success and less deaths, then we will agree to "throw
physic to the dogs," and abandon our profession.
The greatest part of the most valuable time of the students of
veterinary medicine is devoted to the study of pathology, in such a
manner as to afford little instruction. For example, we are told that in
"Bright's" disease of the kidneys they have detected albumen. What does
this amount to? Does it throw any rational light on the treatment other
than that proposed by us, of toning up the animal, and restoring the
healthy secretions? They have studied pathology to their hearts'
content; yet any intelligent farmer in this country, with a few simple
herbs, can beat them at curing disease. We would give details, were it
necessary. Suffice it to say, that it is done here every day, and often
through the aid of a little thoroughwort tea, or other harmless agent.
The pathologist may discover alterations in tissues, in the blood, and
the various organs, and tell us that herein lie the cause and seat of
disease; yet these changes themselves are but results, and preceding
these were other manifestations of disorder; therefore pathology must
always be imperfect, because it is a science of consequences.
The most powerful microscopes have been used to discover the seat of
disease; yet this has not taught us to cure one single disease hitherto
incurable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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