PREFACE
The world owes much to Homeopathy—more probably, than has ever been told, or will ever be known. It is something to be emancipated from drugs, from lancets, leeches, blisters and poisons; but it is more, to be relieved from the fear of them, and to be restored and preserved by forces mild as love, and gentle as the dews of heaven—forces unknown and unrevealed, until elicited by the genius of this system.
But these benefits are not confined to the human species. Animals may enjoy them as well; and heaven knows how much they need them. For to them the day of sickness is not merely the day of doom, but of suffering and of torture as well. Ignorance and cruelty seem to have controlled this branch of medicine—not that men are of necessity careless in regard to the lives of their animals, or designed cruel as to the measures used to restore them when sick; but so little real knowledge prevails concerning their diseases, and so much error as to the proper methods of cure, that the most absurd and cruel measures almost of necessity prevail with corresponding results. Some judicious stock owners, taught by experience the fatality of the common methods of treatment, notwithstanding the torture and expense, have more humanely, if not more wisely, abandoned all treatment, preferring to let nature contend with disease alone, rather than with disease and drugs united. But, thanks to Homeopathy, there is a better way.
For many years past, Homeopathy has been applied to the diseases of all domestic animals in Europe, with the most brilliant success. In this country, and the British Isles, within the last few years, not only have individual practitioners applied its remedies with equal success, but some large veterinary institutions, and most of our principal traveling equestrian troops and menageries, employ it exclusively in all diseases of their horses, experience having shown them its great value and curative power, and its immense superiority over every other method. But the inherent intricacies of the system rendered its general introduction for the cure of animals impracticable; and though, in the hands of some practitioners and some veterinary surgeons, it worked wonders enough to show its astonishing capacities, yet to the masses it has remained a sealed book.
The principal of Humphreys’ Homeopathy, which has proved so efficient in popular use, we have now applied to the diseases of domestic animals, and, from numerous trials, have proved it an entire success. With this Case and Manual every owner of stock may know every ailment among them, and can treat it successfully.
Not among the least benefits conferred by this new method is the ease and simplicity with which the proper medicine is administered. No tying, bottling, struggling, or choking are necessary. A neat little glass instrument (the Medicator) is put into the medicine, and takes up the requisite dose—a few drops—and at the proper moment, is placed in the mouth of the animal and discharged; in an instant the dose is given, and an amount of labor is thus saved to the owner, and of suffering to the animal, which is by no means trivial. Hundreds of animals annually die, or are rendered valueless from disease and drugging, that may be saved and promptly restored by the use of the Case of Veterinary Remedies. Several of our most experienced horsemen have given it their unqualified commendation, and use it daily in their establishments.
In the execution of this design I have consulted every authority and drawn upon every resource within my reach, and the experience of each has been made to contribute to the perfection of the whole, and all has been combined and compared with my many years of observation, study, and experience in the practice of Homeopathy. We flatter ourselves that for simplicity, completeness, and reliability it will commend itself to the judgement of a discerning public.
F. HUMPHREYS, M. D., V. S.