The Role of Veterinarians in Society

The Role of Veterinarians in Society Louis Pasteur, a French chemist and microbiologist in the 1800’s, began his study of rabies when two dogs infected with rabies were brought to his laboratory. One of the dogs suffered from the dumb form of the disease: his jaw hung low, he foamed at the mouth, and he had a vacant look in his eyes. The other dog suffered from the viscous form of the disease: he let out terrifying howls, he snapped, and he bit at any object that came close to him. Through his research Pasteur learned that the rabies germ/organism in saliva could pass to other animals and people through an infected bite. Using this information, Pasteur grew rabies germs/organisms from infected animals and then weakened it, by drying it out, to develop the first vaccine for rabies. (Pasteur) Back then, Pasteur was considered a chemist and microbiologiest, today he would be considered a research veterinarian. Veterinarians ensure that animals are healthy and treated ethically when receiving care, that they cannot transmit potentially fatal diseases to people, and that the food supply is healthy for consumption. As with all science discoveries, veterinary medicine had to start somewhere. For centuries societies have needed animals for food, farming, and transportation. No surprising people needed to find ways to keep their livestock healthy. The first veterinarians learned their skills by working directly with animals. Early veterinarian’s developed surgical procedures that caused considerable torture to the animal, as a result they were rarely successful, but a new invention in the mid-nineteenth century called anesthetics made veterinary surgery comfortable and reliable. After that animals became the subjects of new surgical techniques being developed or tested. In the late-nineteenth century veterinarians began ensuring the quality of the food supply by controlling the diseases that affect the livestock’s health and inspecting the food itself.

Cited: Bureau of Animal Industry. History of the Bureau of Animal Industry. 2008. 19 January 2010 . Michigan State University. College of Veterinary Medicine. 2010. 20 February 2010 . Pasteur, Louis. 2010. 17 January 2010 . United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Veterinarians." 17 December 2009. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition Veterinary History Society. "Veterinary History." The Journal of The Veterinary History Society, (1973): 25.