entitled to be considered the foundation, or real commencement of veterinary science in Britain. As previously explained, this science, like many others, owed its resuscitation to Italy. After the fall of the Byzantine empire, learning once more sought refuge in that favoured land; and the writings of the Greek and Roman hippiatrists, transferred to this genial soil from their Eastern nursery and repository, were not long in bringing forth good fruit, as evidenced in the writings of Rusius, Ruini, Fiaschi, and many others. The veterinary science of France, England, and other countries, took its origin from this source. And Blundevil acknowledges this in the frequent quotations he gives from the Italian writers, and the references he makes to their opinions. Indeed, the technical expressions he employs are nearly all Italian, only some few of them being French. The English language could not furnish them; and more particularly is this observed in the section or treatise devoted to 'paring and shooying all maner of houes.'
He mentions the various breeds of horses he was acquainted with, and their good and bad qualities, particularly with a view to their being profitably reared in England; these were the horses of 'Turkey and Barbary; Sardinia and Corsica, courser of Naples, jennet of Spayne, Hungarian, highe Almayne; Flanders horse; Frizeland horse, and Iryshe hobbye.' In that portion of his work which is more intimately connected with the subject now under consideration, he writes: 'The art of shoeing consisteth in these points, that is to say, in paring the hoof well, in making the shoe of good stuff, in well fashioning the webb thereof, a well piercing the same, in fitting the
