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.