Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1870 [PAGE 209]

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the auxiliary studies excepted, and can stay at the University three years, or if he can stay but two years, and can bestow upon it more than eight hours a week, and is very diligent, he may be able to take a nearly complete course of all the most important studies, and a good foundation of those of less importance. As all branches of Veterinary Science are of great value to the farmer, this would be very desirable. I think this time would suffice also to educate a professional veterinary surgeon, provided he is gifted and very diligent. If the student has less time to spare or cannot stay long enough, a selection has to take place; and for that purpose we have to make subdivisions of some of the branches of Veterinary Science, and to distinguish between indispensable, highly important and less important studies. Indispensable I call those general or fundamental studies, or parts thereof, which cannot, on account of their fundamental character, be dropped, though some of them may be a little reducible. Highly important I call those special studies which should neither be dropped nor shortened, and are of the greatest interest to the farmers. Of less importance I call those studies which, though of special interest to a professional veterinary surgeon, are of less importance to a farmer, for their practical application being but seldom required, and these may be either considerably shortened, or a few entirely dropped. Anatomy may be subdivided in Osteology, Chondrology, Syndesmology, Myology, Splanchnology, Angiology and Neurology. Of these subdivisions, those that are fundamental to most all the other branches of Veterinary Science are not at all or at least but little reducible, and are indispensable. These are Osteology, Splanchnology, the description of the organs of sense, Myology, Angiology and Neurology. The first three cannot be much shortened, the three latter a little more. Less important for a farmer are those subdivisions, that are almost exclusively to be looked upon as fundamental to Surgery and Surgical Operations, and may be considerably shortened. Physiology is indispensable, and so is General Pathology, General Surgery and General Therapeutics. Of the special studies I call the most important for a farmer, Hygieine, Exterior and Principles of Breeding. Of less importance, though of great value, are Special Pathology, Special Surgery, Special Therapeutics, Pharmacology and Obstetrics, at least can be shortened to some extent. Horse-shoeing may be partially dropped and partially included in Special Surgery. Some gentlemen may not agree with me in rating Hygieina, Exterior and Principles of Breeding higher for a farmer than Special Pathology, Special Surgery, etc. The reason is, that the former come into application on a farm almost every day, and the latter but seldom. I value it higher to know how to improve our domestic animals, to be able to judge correctly about the value and qualities of the same, for a certain purpose, and to learn how to keep them healthy and to the greatest advantage, because this knowledge, if a farmer makes constant use of it, will not only prevent many diseases, so that Special Pathology, Special Surgery and Special Therapeutics, etc., will but seldom come into practice, but wilj. add more to his wealth, by improving his stock and saving expenses, than he may ever lose, even if all those animals of his, that get sick, should die.

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