Task 1. Read and translate the text.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 422.

THE HISTORY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

The history of veterinary medicine is closely tied to the development of human medicine. Rudimentary medical skills are thought to have existed as early as 9000 BC among Middle Eastern shepherding cultures. These skills developed further in the hands of Egyptians from about 4000 to 300 BC. Archaeologists have discovered papyrus fragments from an Egyptian medical textbook from around 1850 BC that describe diseases of cattle, dogs, birds, and fish. The fragments show that ancient Egyptians understood veterinary anatomy, recognized signs indicating certain diseases, and practiced specific methods of treatment. Evidence of animal medicine has also been found in other ancient civilizations, such as those of the Hindus, Babylonians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans.

The first veterinary school was founded in Lyons, France, in 1761. Later known as the Royal Veterinary School, its purpose was to provide study in the anatomy and diseases of horses, cattle, and sheep. The first American veterinary institution, the Veterinary College of Philadelphia, operated from 1852 to 1866. The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, established in 1883, has the distinction of being the oldest accredited veterinary school currently operating in the United States.