Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... The care of brute beasts : a social and cultural study of veterinary medicine in early modern England (edition 2010)by Louise Hill Curth
Work InformationThe Care of Brute Beasts: A Social and Cultural Study of Veterinary Medicine in Early Modern England (History of Science and Medicine Library) by Louise Hill Curth
None Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. An outstanding book which gives a thorough overview of veterinary medicine in England from the 15th to the 18th centuries. The author starts by giving a very clear explanation of premodern theories of disease and health for humans, with discussion of the humoral theory and factors such as astrology and how it was used. She then explains how this was applied to animal healing. She also describes the different layers of of healers from the highest professional farriers (members of the Company of Farriers) to the lowest itinerant animal healer and the household healers- the husbands and wives who owned the animals. She thoroughly discusses the literature, from high and learned to lowly, including almanacs, which appealed to the lowest common denominator among the populace. She makes a very strong argument that other historians are incorrect in assuming that all healers below the level of farrier were illiterate, incompetent butchers, and that the transition to professional veterinary training at the Royal Veterinary College beginning in 1791 was an abrupt change. In fact, the knowledge one received at the RVC was not very different from what was already being practiced and what was already in the literature in the 18th century (and even the 16th and 17th centuries). She did not acknowledge that the movement to begin this professional veterinary school arose because of the Enlightenment and the desire (if only theoretical) to study the horse scientifically and use more empirical methods of treating them. She also points out that most argue that the RVC was founded because of several cattle plague outbreaks in Britain during the 18th century, however the RVC only taught practitioners about horses, not cattle. She also did not factor in that the British founded the RVC in part out of insecurity that its primary military and economic rival, France, had more than one vet school and was considered to have an advantage because of it. Overall, an outstanding book- highly recommended. Unfortunately her publisher, Brill, did not do her text justice: there were numerous typographical errors that showed a poor proofreading job. ( ) no reviews | add a review
This book is about medical beliefs and practices for animals in early modern England. Although there are numerous texts on human health, this is the first to focus exclusively on animals during this period. For most academics, the foundation of the London Veterinary College in 1791 marks the beginning of 'modern' veterinary medicine, with the period before unworthy of serious study. In fact, there is ample evidence of how the importance of animals resulted in a highly complex system of both preventative and remedial care. This book is divided into sections which start by 'setting the scene' with an overview of animals in early modern England and the contemporary principles behind health and illness. It moves onto an examination of the medical marketplace and printed literature on animal health care, followed by an in-depth look at preventative and remedial methods. It ends by addressing the question of what impact, if any, new colleges had on veterinary beliefs and practices. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNone
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)636.089Technology Agriculture & related technologies Animal husbandry General Zootechny Hygiene; DiseasesLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |