Obstetrical observations by the cow doctor W. Munter (1767-1838) from Goudswaard (Prov. South-Holland)

Before the time that certified veterinarians from the Veterinary School of Utrecht became available, assistance with difficult parturitions of farm animals often was given by experienced cow doctors. Such a cow doctor was W. Munter, who practised at one of the islands of South-Holland. He had obtained a license for veterinary practice after being examined by the socalled Leyden Commission, in 1808 installed by King Louis Napoléon. In 1829 Munter communicated several of his case stories to Alexander Numan, director of the Veterinary School. These are edited and commented here. They shed light on the obstetrical problems Munter met in his practice and on the manner he solved them, and also on his views on the backwardness of many of his clients. It is concluded that Munter had a good practical knowledge and that he worked with accuracy.     

Veterinary medical work of Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben, the first teacher of veterinary medicine in Germany]

Erxleben could be regarded as the founder of the modern, systematic and scientific training of verterinary surgeons in Germany. Thanks to an open-minded up-bringing and a large interest in other scientific fields beyond his medical studies he acquired the ideal basis to turn veterinary medicine into a subject at university. He acquired his knowledge in veterinary medicine by reading numerous veterinary books and by visiting the Netherlands and France and the expert of horses Johann Baptist von Sind. Since 1770 he started with veterinary lessons. When planning his teaching, he tried to avoid the mistakes made by the first schools in France. In order to do so he attached a great importance to a fundamental but practical training. Erxleben also wrote two volumes about veterinary medicine, which he used as a literary basis for his lessons.     

Thoracic surgery in companion animals. The role of Professor Dr. G.H.B. Teunissen (1907-1998)

By this review we commemorate professor dr. dr. h.c. G.H.B. Teunissen, who died on August 20, 1998. We report his important role in the development of human and small animal thoracic surgery in the Netherlands following his appointment as professor in the Small Animal Clinic of the State University of Utrecht in January 1947. Comparing Teunissen's publications on thoracic surgery with other literature on this subject in the same period shows that he was aware of and made use of the possibilities of the developments at that time. Thanks to his contributions, the small animal thoracic surgery in Utrecht is internationally recognized.     

Origin and distribution of facial nerve anatomy in van cats

This study aims to reveal the morphological properties of facial nerve and the middle ear in Van cats. Study material was composed of 6 female Van cats. Dissections were performed under a Zoom Stereo Microscope. There was no plexus buccalis in Van cats. The chorda tympani was observed to pass through an opening in the tympanic cavity, emerge through a small opening just behind the retroarticular process, and join the lingual nerve. A rounded anatomical formation with a size of 2.75 ± 0.3 mm was found to be located within the mastoid process of the temporal bone between the facial nerve and the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. The stapes nerve was not present. The geniculate ganglion was very prominent and about 1.00 mm high. The deep petrosal nerve was observed to emerge from the plexus tympanicus. The bulla tympanica was 18.96 ± 0.10 mm long, 13.03 ± 0.20 mm wide and 13.16 ± 0.20 mm high. After leaving the mandibular nerve, the n.tensoris tympani coursed caudally around the a.maxillaris, formed an ansa, entered the tympanic cavity through the canalis musculotubarius and reached an end in the m. tensor tympani. Due to the scarcity of studies on the middle ears of Van cats, it is thought that this study will fill a gap in the field of veterinary anatomy.     

Sebastian Fey, Zuben and Erlen (Thurgau), 1791-1825]

Sebastian Fey (1791-1825) was a young veterinarian of the Swiss canton of Thurgau (founded 1803). He had first made an apprenticeship as a country veterinarian, and his educational background was very modest. But his zealousness to come out of the darknesses of empirical veterinary medicine was very strong. With a cantonal scholarship, he managed to spend a year (1813/14) at the Vienna Veterinary School. He was one of the first members of the Swiss Veterinary Association founded 1813, and published a series of papers in the early volumes of its Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde, on from 1816. He also had two monographs printed in Constance publishing houses. In the second of them, he confirmed and defended the statements of Skellett, a British pioneer of foetotomy in cattle.     

Leptospirosis in a Small Animal Veterinarian: Reminder to Follow Standardized Infection Control Procedures

A small animal veterinarian in Washington State developed leptospirosis after an occupational exposure. Approximately 10 days prior to the onset of illness, he examined a healthy appearing pet rat for fleas, which urinated on his un‐gloved hands. Although the veterinarian washed his hands after the examination, his hands had abrasions from gardening. The veterinarian was hospitalized for 12 days and was able to return to work part‐time 1 month following discharge. This illness may have been prevented if the veterinarian had been wearing gloves during the examination as recommended by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV), Veterinary Infection Control Committee, in its Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel (2008). This case alerts us to the need for small animal veterinarians to minimize their infection risk by practising recommended infection control procedures. Veterinarians should establish and follow a written infection control plan based on the standardized infection control approach adopted by the NASPHV to minimize their risk of occupational zoonotic infections.     

Integrated microbiological safety assurance and monitoring of food and drinking water. Professor Kampelmacher's contribution to postgraduate education in The Netherlands from the point of view of Veterinary Public Health

The history of academic education in food microbiology and hygiene in the Netherlands has largely been written by Prof. Kampelmacher. The first contribution in this field dates from 1961, and suggested a new approach to teaching Veterinary Public Health. His later research led to the conclusion that intervention would be the only way to control the food-transmitted diseases originating from slaughter animals and poultry, particularly Salmonellosis. This intervention should take place at the beginning of the contamination cycle. In the 1970's, surveys showed that feed decontamination would no longer efficiently control the endemicity of Salmonellosis. The contamination cycles had become autonomous. Consequently, emphasis on terminal decontamination of food products was necessary. Besides his activities in teaching and research, Prof. Kampelmacher masterminded a modern view of the responsibilities of academic scientists. Moreover, he strongly promoted an interdisciplinary approach to scientific consultation and advice. In this respect, he has unfortunately not been successful in introducing radiation of dangerously contaminated food, having met strong opposition from various quarters. His efforts in multidisciplinary training and research programmes resulted in, among other things, fruitful cooperation between the Agricultural University at Wageningen and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University.     

The activities of Professor Curt Krause in Bulgaria

Prof. C. Krause spent six years in Bulgaria, from 1928 to 1934. He officially assumed his position on October 10, 1928, as he delivered his opening lecture titled About the past, present and future of the general pathology and pathological anatomy. He worked skillfully and with utmost devotion on the organization of the department of General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy at the Veterinary Faculty. The educational process normalized. Seven students completed their doctoral theses under his leadership and first research assistants were prepared. He lay the foundations of the pathoanatomical museum in his department. Prof. Krauseus contributions to the development of the pathological anatomy in Bulgaria both as a scientific discipline and as a veterinary practice are substantial. In 1939, Prof. Krause received the highest honour for his work in Bulgaria - he was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa of veterinary medicine of the Sofia University.     

Thomas Henry Hankin,B.V.Sc., M.R.C.V.S.

Extract

Tommy Hankin was born in 1888. He graduated from the Melbourne Veterinary School in 1914. He soon joined the A.I.F. and served in the war as Veterinary Officer in Egypt and in France. After the war he went to Edinburgh and obtained his M.R.C.V.S. and then returned to New Zealand and set up practice in Pukekohe. In 1927 he joined the Department of Agriculture as a Veterinarian and was stationed successively in Wanganui, Masterton and Whangarei before his appointment as Livestock Superintendent, Auckland, where he stayed until his retirement in 1953. After he retired he moved to Pukekohe and was kept busy with land and livestock until his sudden death on November 1, 1971.     

Virchow's contributions to veterinary medicine: celebrated then, forgotten now

In 1858, Rudolf Virchow, the professor of pathology in Berlin University, published the book "Cellular Pathology". A compendium of his lectures to physicians and medical students, he introduced the use of microscopy for the study of human diseases. To an astonishing extent Rudolf Virchow was helpful to the disciplines of veterinary medicine (and veterinary pathology). Considered a scientific genius in several disciplines, this essay deals exclusively with the devotion of Virchow, a scholarly physician, to the profession of veterinary medicine. He respected veterinary research, supported governmental veterinary education, and provided a role model for the veterinarians who were drafting control legislation of contagious diseases in livestock. Repeatedly, he responded in help when seemingly irretrievable problems arose. Examples of Virchow's activities in the realms of veterinary medicine and pathology are marshalled here to shed light on this pioneer "veterinary pathologist". In celebration of 50 years of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 1999, it is timely to remember that Rudolf Virchow, the father of cellular pathology, also fathered veterinary pathology, whose offsprings in Canada and the U.S.A. (Osler, Clement, Williams, Olafson, Jones) had enabled them to form and foster the A.C.V.P.     

Dingeman van der Vliet,veterinary artist, 1792-1866

Dingeman van der Vliet (1792-1866) from Zierikzee in province of Zeeland, was one of the first officially trained veterinarians in the Netherlands. He was sent to Paris on the order of Louis Napoleon, king of Holland, at the expense of the Dutch government. In the period of his stay at the Veterinary School in Alfort (1808-1811) he wrote a great number of letters to his parents and friends. His letters give insight in the daily life of the school in Alfort and the festivities in Paris during the reign of the emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. In a second article, the laborious built-up of a veterinary practice in those days will be described.     

From Osler to Olafson. The evolution of veterinary pathology in North America

Most branches of biological science in North America developed first in the United States, and later were taught and practiced in Canada. An exception was veterinary pathology, which as a discipline taught in veterinary colleges and as a field of research, developed first in Canada, and from there crossed the border to the United States. Pathology was first taught at the Montreal Veterinary College, founded in 1866 by Duncan McEachran, a graduate of the Edinburgh Veterinary College. From the outset, he formed a close association with the medical faculty of McGill University, permitting his students to attend the same classes in the basic subjects with the medical students. Eventually, the Montreal Veterinary College became formally affiliated with McGill University, as the Faculty of Comparative Medicine and Veterinary Science. The McGill veterinary faculty was forced to close for economic reasons in 1903, but it left an enduring legacy, particularly in the field of veterinary pathology. The legacy, a novel concept in the 1870's, was that pathology was the cornerstone of a veterinary education; the place where anatomy, physiology, chemistry and botany met with the clinical subjects, and gave the latter meaning. This tradition was formed at the Montreal Veterinary College by the world renowned physician William Osler, North America's leading medical teacher, whom McEachran had invited to teach at the College in 1876 in addition to his duties in the faculty of medicine. Osler had studied with Virchow in Berlin and applied his methods of autopsy technique and of scientific inquiry to his teaching of both human and veterinary pathology at McGill. Osler also undertook investigations into various diseases of domestic animals, at the request of McEachran, who doubled as Chief Veterinary Inspector for the Dominion Department of Agriculture. Osler left McGill University in 1884. Only after that year did other North American veterinary schools adopt pathology as a discipline of instruction. However, by 1884, Osler had already left his indelible imprint on the students (both medical and veterinary) he had taught in Montreal, one of whom took over the teaching of pathology in the veterinary college. Another, who followed Osler's example and also studied in Berlin with Virchow, wrote the first book in the English language on veterinary post mortem technique in 1889.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Serving capacity tests for beef bulls

Sir:— I would like to commend Don Fraser on his letter in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal Jan/Feb. issue, in bringing to the attention of the profession a practice that was exceedingly offensive for me to read about.     

Feminization of veterinary medicine in the Netherlands 1925-2000

The feminisation of veterinary medicine occurred in The Netherlands, as elsewhere in the world, in the course of the twentieth century. In 1930, Jeannette Voet (1907-1979) was the first female veterinarian graduate of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University. In contrast with the first Dutch female physician who graduated in 1878, Jeannette Voet was not an active feminist. Instead, she concentrated on the development of various fields of veterinary medicine during her career. Nevertheless, she played an important role in the acceptance of women in Dutch veterinary medicine. The integration of women into all areas of the veterinary profession was a gradual process. Meat inspection, in particular, proved to be rather conservative in its acceptance of female veterinarians. The number of women veterinarians in the profession increased only gradually throughout the twentieth century. In 1970, women represented not more than 5 % of all veterinarians in The Netherlands. A significant increase in female students was first observed in the 1980s. The large influx of city girls who are primarily interested in companion animal and horse medicine is still quite remarkable. The average percentage of female first-year students between 1988 and 1992 was 60; over the last 5 years, this increased to 70%. Between 1988 and 1999, the average percentage of female graduates grew from 35 to 60%. Consequently, the proportion of Dutch female veterinarians increased from 5 to 25% between 1970 and 2000. In spite of this development, the representation of women veterinarians among policymaking officials, leading veterinary authorities and academic staff (particularly at the professor level) is still quite low. From this point of view, veterinary medicine could still be considered as 'a man's job'. Feminisation of veterinary medicine is often explained by an increase in the numbers of companion animals and horses and part-time jobs or by a different, gender-based attitude towards animals. Another, simpler, explanation is that fewer male students are attracted to veterinary medicine because they can make more money in other professions. More historical sociological research, including a comparison with feminisation in other sciences and broader society, is necessary to obtain a deeper insight into this phenomenon. Regardless, feminisation is likely to further change the veterinary profession in the near future.     

Leibniz and veterinary medicine--a contribution to Leibniz research]

This study examines LEIBNIZ' idea of Veterinary medicine in a biographical context. It is based on material from the Leibniz-Archives of the Nieders?chsische Landesbibliothek Hannover, primary sources as well as the correspondence between LEIBNIZ and F. HOFFMANN and B. RAMAZZINI. Critical analysis of LEIBNIZ' proposal to establish a medical administrative authority and an analysis of further sources corroborate the view of LEIBNIZ as a progressive thinker who included the epidemiology of veterinary medicine (the preventive approach) in his conception. In this way he conceived of veterinary medicine in scientific terms which is going to be the relevant approach today.     

Mr. H. S. S. Kyle

Extract

It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Mr. Kyle, of Christchruch, who was a widely known and respected member of pur profession. He was born in Melbourne in 1873 and spent the early part of his life in the Riverina district of new South Wales. He graduated as a veterinary surgeon in Melbourne in 1895 and practised in Ballarat until 1901, when he came to New Zealand. He was in government service until 11918 and, after one year in the army, commenced private practice in Christchurch in 1919. He gave up practice on his election to Parliament but resumed on his retirement from office, Mr. Kyle first entered the field of public affairs in local body service and became Mayor of the Borough of Riccarton in 1925, a post which, except for the years 1927 to 1929, he claimed as a record for New Zealand, being 28 years.     

All-purpose veterinary education: a personal perspective

The Recognition Lecture is an annual honor awarded by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) to an individual whose leadership and vision have made significant contributions to academic veterinary medicine and the veterinary profession. In 2011, this prestigious honor was awarded to Dr. Peter Eyre, Dean Emeritus of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM). Dr. Eyre is a fierce advocate for veterinary medical education, with a clear vision of its value in ensuring that veterinarians are well positioned to meet societal needs. Dr. Eyre possesses an international perspective regarding the challenges and problems facing veterinary medical education and has a keen eye for getting to the heart of these challenges. He is known to ask hard questions and propose difficult choices. Dr. Eyre received his undergraduate veterinary degree (BVMS), bachelor of science degree, and PhD from the University of Edinburgh. He was Lecturer in Pharmacology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for seven years before joining the faculty of the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College, where he was Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Associate Director of the Canadian Centre for Toxicology. Dr. Eyre was appointed Dean of the VMRCVM in 1985, where he established the Center for Government and Corporate Veterinary Medicine in 1989. After retiring in 2003, he was named Interim Dean of the University of Calgary's new veterinary school. Among his many awards are the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award and the Sigma Psi Excellence in Research Award. In 2008 the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) honored him with the President's Award, and in 2010 the University of Edinburgh awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. The Peter Eyre Student Leadership Award at the VMRCVM and the Peter Eyre Prize in Pharmacology at the University of Guelph are both named in his honor. He is a past president of the AAVMC, a fellow and former board member of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and a former member of the AVMA Legislative Advisory Committee. In the following article, Dr. Eyre offers his insights on the current debate about the future of veterinary medical education.     

William Moorcroft (1767-1825). Veterinarian, explorer in Asia--and spy?

From 1790 to 1791 the surgeon William MOORCROFT studied veterinary medicine in Alford. He was the first Englishman with a complete formal veterinary education. In 1808 he gave up his horse practice and went into service of the East India Company as superintendent of the Company's Indian stud. Search for appropriate stud-horses and his efforts for opening up trading-routes from India to inner Asia induced him to exploring expeditions into the regions of the southwest Himalayas, the Hindu kush, Samarkand and Afghanistan. There he made also a lot of geographical and biological observations. He was not only one of the European pioneer Himalaya explorers but became also an early participant of the later so called "Great Game", the struggle between England and Russia for supremacy in Central Asia.