Skip to content

Global veterinary medicine timeline

BC

c.3000 Mesopotamia. Urlugaledinna named as “expert in healing animals”.
2500 China. Veterinary treatises on horses and cattle.
2300 Babylonia. Eshuna Code identifies rabies control measures.
2200 Babylonia. Code of Hammurabi defines veterinary fees.
1800 India. Salihotra named as “veterinarian” of horses.
400 Greece. Hippocrates “humoral pathology” affects veterinary practice for 2000 years.
250 India. King Asoka constructs veterinary hospitals.
70 Rome. Varro: treatise indicates a veterinary professional class.

AD

330 Byzantium.  Apsyrtus called “father of veterinary medicine”.
450 Rome. Vegetius books on veterinary art, influential for years.
900 England. Anglo-Saxon Leech Book includes animal cures.
1350 Italy. Laurence Rusius Hippiatria, widely circulated in printed edition after 1530.
1490 Spain. Short-lived veterinary schools established.
1522 Spain. Francisco de la Reyna Book of Veterinary.
1528 Switzerland. Vegetius work printed as Mulo-Medicina.
1565 England. Thomas Blundeville first major English veterinary book on horses.
1576 England. George Turbeville first English book dealing with diseases of dogs.
1598 Italy. Carlo Ruini first anatomy of the horse prefacing the start of veterinary science.
1639 England. Thomas de Grey book on horses, hereditary disease and attempted rationale for common procedures.
1664 France. Jacques de Sollysel wrote classic text, recognised glanders.
1683 Scotland. Andrew Snape first English equine anatomy book.
1711 Italy and England. Giovanni Lasci and Thomas Bates both establish effective methods to control rinderpest, but not used.
1720 England. William Gibson surgeon–farrier advances humane treatments, rational medication and education.
1761 France. Claude Bourgelat founded Lyon Veterinary School and Alfort School in 1765.  Start of veterinary profession.
1778 Scotland. James Clark notable book, introduces concept of hygiene, advocated veterinary schools.
1783 England. Francis Clater Every man his own farrier the first of many horse doctor books.
1785 England. Odiham Agricultural Society proposes a British Veterinary School.
1791 England. London Veterinary College founded with Sainbel as first Professor.  Start of British veterinary profession.

Compiled by Bruce Vivash Jones, Senior Vice Chairman of the Veterinary History Society, in July 2010, and reproduced with his permission.