250 years of veterinary science

THIS year marks the 250th anniversary of veterinary education.

The world’s first veterinary school was founded in Lyon, France, in 1761, shortly followed by the Alfort veterinary school, near Paris, in 1764, both of them at the initiative of French veterinarian Claude Bourgelat. By setting up the world’s first veterinary training institutions, Bourgelat created the veterinary profession itself. Thus, 2011 will also mark the 250th anniversary of the veterinary profession. As a result of his fruitful collaboration with surgeons in Lyon, Bourgelat was also the first scientist who dared to suggest that studying animal biology and pathology would help to improve our understanding of human biology and pathology. This year also marks the 250th anniversary of the concept of comparative pathobiology, without which modern medicine would never have emerged.Windhoek veterinarian Dr Ian Baines says: ‘A lot has changed in our profession over the years, like today we give animals, who have for instance been sterilised, pain medication. In previous years veterinarians did not believe in giving pain medication, as the animal would lie still and not move around much after the operation if it was in pain. This has changed, however, as we humans cause the animal pain and we can thus also minimise it’.