British Colonial Africa, with Special Reference to the Colonial Veterinary Service 1944-64  

Personal reminiscences of the author, K W Aspinall, of his time dealing with the Rinderpest outbreak in Tanganyika from 1944. Aspinall was later appointed as Deputy Director of Veterinary Services in Nyasaland in 1954 and remained until independence and the creation of Malawi n 1964. He reflects on colonial government of this time.

K W Aspinall

Le Mareschal Expert, par Seu N Beavgrand, MDCXXXII & Thoams Gray. Esquire

A description of the book, ‘Le Mareschal Expert’, by Nicolas Beavgrand and published in 1632 in France. Detailed analysis of the first four chapters, highlighting their influence on the British writer, Thoams de Gray, whose book, ‘The Compleat Horseman and Expert Farrier’ was an influential book in its day.

J G P Wood

John Hunter (1728-93) and the Beginnings of Feline Medicine and Surgery

Of all the domestic animals, the cat was the last to receive any attention by the established veterinary community. John Hunter, the famous surgeon, became one of the most important veterinary scientists on the eighteenth century. He produced original works on anatomy and pathology on almost all domestic species, except the domestic cat, although he was interested in lions and other big cats. However, the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons does contain some of the earliest feline pathological samples and these are described.

J D Blaisdell

Farriers of Tudor Days

An account of early writers on farriery, animal disease, treatments including Fitzherbert, author of the first book published in English on farming in 1523. Other authors are Thomas Blundeville, Nicholas Malbie, George Turbeville, who wrote about breeding, training and diseases of fox hounds. Two famous authors were Gervase Markham and Leonard Mascall.

G E Fussell