A Proud Legacy and Some Surprises: A Concise History of Veterinary Medicine

This presentation introduces a fresh perspective on veterinary history in the new book, A Concise History of Veterinary Medicine. Drawing on recent scholarship from several disciplines, the authors approach veterinary history as global history from 1500 to today. This allows us to trace how animals and diseases moved between continents, how European ideas about formal veterinary education spread around the world, the impacts of global wars on veterinary medicine, and much more. We argue that veterinarians and other animal healers have both shaped, and been shaped by, the social, cultural and economic roles of animals over time. Our book details a proud legacy for veterinary medicine and also some surprises that will be revealed during the presentation.