PREFACE.

The title page of this work explains its nature, scope,
and character so perfectly that little else need be said
on the subject. It is compiled from the highest author­
ities and the latest editions of their respective works.
For example, the parts entitled “Medicines and their
Doses” and “Medicines and their Classes” are based, or
chiefly based, on the seventh edition of Dun’s “Vet­
erinary Medicines.” Prof. Percivall’s works, from which
numerous extracts have been made, are getting old, it is
true ; but as his words are often quoted by all modern
veterinary authors, no apology is needed for the extracts
from that source in this work. The illustrations, num­
bering, in the aggregate, 232, are the best of their kind,
and are taken from here and there. Many are from May-
hew and Armitage.

One of the drawbacks of most veterinary books is the
confusion of nomenclature. This is an almost necessary
fault of this volume, for if several of the different names
by which some diseases are known were not given, how
could the unprofessional reader recognize them ? For
example, on page 225 is the following : “ Carbuncular
fever (anthrax), also called Texas fever, splenic fever,
trembles, charbon, blain, &c” Page 238 : “ Hoven
(tympanites), also known as hove, hoove, blown, dew-
blown, fog-sickness, &c” Page 322: “Swine plague or
swine anthrax, also known as hog cholera, red soldier,
blue sickness, measles, erysipelas, intestinal fever, typhoid
fever, &c” The using of the word ‘ thrush’ to indicate
both disease of the foot and the mouth is certainly inex­
cusable confusion. (See pages 196, 238, 296.) It is like
using the word ‘ fang ’ to indicate the root as well as the

iv

PREFACE.

crown of a tooth. These and similar defects, in veterin­
ary as well as other works, will probably pass away in
the course of time.

As a rule, where practicable, a plain English word has
been used to name a disease, the technical name being
given in a parenthesis. Where not practicable, the tech­
nical name is explained as in the following examples :
“ Ecthyma (boil-like eruptions).” “ Herpes (creeping,
spreading).” “Erythema (red, rose-colored).” Scores of
other parenthetical explanations are made here and there
throughout the work.

The two descriptions of ‘ Measles ’ (pages 316 and 328)
appear to be inharmonious. The first, based on Gress-
well, refers to the well known febrile skin disease ; the
second, based on Armitage, refers to measle worms. In
quoting from different authors, there is sure to be more
or less confusion and a few apparent contradictions.

Some useful information is contained in a note on
page 13—namely, the measurement of medicines in ordi­
nary utensils. An important addition to the note, espe­
cially to farmers, is the fact that an average sized grain
of wheat weighs one-half grain—apothecaries’ weight.

New York, July, 1891.

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