Louis Vitet - Médecine vétérinaire - 1771

Louis Vitet’s "Médecine vétérinaire" from 1771 is an early veterinary medicine treatise. Veterinary science in the 18th century was emerging as a distinct field, transitioning from folk remedies to more systematic approaches addressing animal health and agricultural needs. This book likely explores disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in domesticated animals important for farming and transportation, such as horses, cattle, and sheep. Published during a period when veterinary schools were being established—like the first in Lyon in 1762—the text would have contributed to the professionalization of veterinary practice in Europe. It reflects Enlightenment principles applying scientific method to animal care and agriculture, underlying the increasing recognition of veterinary medicine's role in economy and public welfare.