Heal the Beasts: A Jaunt Through the Curious History of the Veterinary Arts

Veterinary medicine has come a long way since its 18th-century beginnings, according to this standout history from veterinarian Schott (The Accidental Veterinarian). Each chapter features a veterinarian who has made his or her mark on the profession. There’s William Moorcroft, founder of the first equine hospital in London, who traveled the world searching for breeding horses for the British East India Company’s cavalry; French veterinarian Pierre Victor Galtier, who pioneered the rabies vaccine with sheep in 1881 before Louis Pasteur put it to the test on humans; Canadian vet Harry Colebourn, who, en route to the Western Front in 1914, adopted Winnie, a bear cub who became the inspiration for the character Winnie-the-Pooh; and Louis Camuti, the New York vet who became the first to specialize in cats in 1933. Not all the credit goes to humans in Schott’s clever survey—an unsung hero of veterinary history is the 18th-century racehorse Eclipse, who was so beloved that the British public went into mourning upon his death in 1789, sparking demand for formal veterinary education. Schott’s animated account moves at a fast clip, is full of colorful anecdotes, and will delight animal lovers of all stripes. (July)