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UNIDENTIFIED : 1889 - 1890 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LECTURE NOTES AND 'MATERIA MEDICA' HANDWRITTEN BY A STUDENT OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY COLLEGE AND THEIR FOREMOST PROFESSOR

On offer is a most unique, original medical student's notebook. Its importance goes far beyond the simple notetaking involved. Dating from 1899, this book measures 7 3/4 inches by 5 inches and has 148 pages. The cover is a hardboard cover with a taped binding. All of the pages are intact. It is 70% complete and the handwriting is legible. The author of this notebook is unknown. What can be established though is that it is likely a male and that he studied at the American Veterinary College in New York. This was the leading veterinary college in the United States and it was led by Dr. Alexandre Liautard, the foremost veterinarian in the United States. Liautard's name is mentioned frequently in the student's notes as his teacher. Other professors are mentioned such as a Dr. Coates and this most certainly is Dr. W.J. Coates who succeeded Liautard as Dean when Liautard returned to his native France. The student's notes refer to many aspects of animal medicine. They are accompanied by a number of brightly coloured drawings illustrating the many aspects of animal anatomy. There are references to pharmacology and well as administrivia such as class times and instructors. The volume can certainly served as a baseline against which progress in animal medicine can be measured. When people think of the late 19th century in terms of transportation, rail is usually what comes to mind first. But, in the large industrial cities, the use of horses for transportation was vital to their growth. In New York City alone, the horse population in the 1890's ranged from 100,000 to 200,000. Not only were they vital for the city's growth, but they also posed challenges - 2.5 million pounds of manure per day was one. New York removed over 15,000 dead horses from the streets in 1880 alone. In addition to horses, cattle, hogs and other domestic animals live side by side with the residents creating inevitable and serious health problems. It was into this milieu that Dr. Liautard entered when he arrived from France in 1860. There was no veterinary profession at the time Liautard arrived. Over the next 40 years, he built an enormous reputation as a veterinarian. Today, he is recognized as one of the founders of the modern profession and has been referred to as the father of American veterinary medicine. Herein lies the value of this 'materia medica' or medical notebook. This is information that would have come to the student directly from Liautard. It is a key document in understanding points of emphasis made by Liautard to prospective veterinarians. Given his enormous stature in this profession, this notebook from one of his students takes on a much greater importance. It is a small window into the mind of one of America's great veterinarians and how he was actively shaping what would become a highly-respected profession.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good +

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