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British veterinary medicine timeline

1785 Odiham Agricultural Society proposes a British Veterinary School.
1791 London Veterinary College founded with Sainbel as its first Professor.  Start of British veterinary profession.
1796 Army Board of Officers coin title “Veterinary Surgeon”.
1823 William Dick establishes veterinary school in Edinburgh.
1828 First two veterinary journals launched, one The Veterinarian, published for 74 years.
1836 First meeting of Veterinary Medical Association.
1840 Thomas Mayer and Thomas Walton Mayer start moves to obtain a Royal Charter to protect the profession.
1844 Charter granted and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons created.
1847 RCVS starts to compile the first Register of Members.
1848 Sheep pox found in imported animals, led to 1848 Act, first regulation to control import of animals.
1854 RCVS acquires first premises at 10 Red Lion Square.
1857 John Gamgee opens New Edinburgh Veterinary School, later moves to London but fails.
1861 James McCall founds Glasgow Veterinary School.
1865 Rinderpest diagnosed in London by J B Simonds.
1866 Cattle Diseases Prevention Act passed and State veterinary department created.  Veterinary medicine seen as of national importance.
1873 William Williams establishes veterinary school in Edinburgh.
1876 Sir Frederick Fitzwygram and George Fleming, both in the Army, reorganise RCVS and obtain supplemental Charter.
1879 Fitzwygram heals rift between RCVS and Dick School allowing way for Act of Parliament to protect profession.
1881 Veterinary Surgeons Act passed due to work of Fleming.
1882 National Veterinary Association formed.
1896 Post of Chief Veterinary Officer established.
1900 Veterinary School in Dublin opened.
1905 Williams School from Edinburgh becomes Liverpool Veterinary School.
1917 Weybridge Central Veterinary Laboratory completed.
1919 National Veterinary Medical Association formed, becomes British Veterinary Association in 1952.
1920 Veterinary Surgeons Act (1881) Amendment Act passed, provided RCVS with regular income.
1922 Aleen Cust, first woman MRCVS, after completing course in 1890s.
1929 Martin Committee reports that RVC is a “national disgrace”.
1935 First sulphonamide introduced starting drugs revolution.
1937 Rebuilt Royal Veterinary College opened.
1938 Animal Health Division of Ministry of Agriculture born.
1946 Loveday Reports on veterinary education; veterinary schools subsumed into the university system.
1948 The Veterinary Surgeons Act passed giving RCVS powers over education and prevention of unqualified practice.
1949 Bristol School of Veterinary Science and the Cambridge Veterinary School established in response to the Loveday Reports
1957 British Small Animal Veterinary Association born, to become dominant professional division by 2000.
1961 Establishment of training for animal nursing auxilliaries.
1966 The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 consolidated and updated all previous legislation.
1966 RCVS approves RANA (Veterinary Nurses) Register.
1968 Medicines Act passed, has widespread influence on sale and use of veterinary medicines.
2006 School of Veterinary Medicine and Science opened at the University of Nottingham.
2013 Legislative Reform Order (LRO) to reconstitute RCVS disciplinary committees separately from RCVS Council came into force on 6 April amending the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
2014 School of Veterinary Medicine opened at the University of Surrey.

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