Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Beasts, murrains, and the British Raj: reassessing colonial medicine in India from the veterinary perspective, 1860-1900.
- Journal:
- Bulletin of the history of medicine
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Mishra, Saurabh
- Affiliation:
- University of Oxford. · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This article takes a fresh look at how animal health was treated during British rule in India from 1860 to 1900, which has often been overshadowed by a focus on human health. It highlights how the veterinary field was connected to military and financial policies of the colonial government, suggesting that animal health was largely ignored during this time. The paper discusses various aspects of veterinary medicine, such as the study of germs, training for veterinarians, horse breeding, and managing diseases. Overall, it argues that animal health care did not receive the attention it needed under colonial rule.
Abstract
Assessments of colonial medicine in India have, until now, focused almost exclusively on questions related to human health. This article shifts attention to the subject of animal health and reexamines existing hypotheses about colonial medicine in India from this new perspective. It looks at the linkages between veterinary medicine and the military and fiscal policies of the colonial state, arguing that animal health in the larger colony remained neglected throughout the late nineteenth century as a result of these policies. In arguing this, the essay examines several areas related to veterinary medicine in India, including bacteriology, veterinary training, horse breeding, and disease control.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22506434/