In 1976, I had the incredible opportunity to spend time with the legendary James Alfred Wight (a.k.a. James Herriot) and his partner Donald Sinclair (a.k.a. Siegfried Farnon) in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales. As a budding veterinarian fresh from the University of Sydney, the experience was nothing short of a dream come true.
I ended up in Thirsk, Yorkshire, to visit a friend of my father. Not really knowing what to do with me, my host asked whether I would like to “see practice” for a week or two with the local vet. No mention of who the veterinarian was. That information wouldn't have been useful anyway, as I had not read James Herriot’s book “All Creatures Great and Small” which had been published in the US in 1972.
On my first day of practical work, Siegfried and I set off to a local farm to castrate several yearling horses. The journey to the farm provided the perfect backdrop for a fascinating conversation about anesthetic choices. I eagerly shared the knowledge I'd gained during my veterinary studies, extolling the virtues of modern intravenous and inhalant anesthetic agents. Siegfried listened attentively, his eyes twinkling with curiosity and wisdom.
Upon arriving at the farm, I was eager to see how Siegfried would approach the task. To my surprise, he reached for a Cox mask (a type of face mask) and fitted it to the horse's nose. With practiced ease, he inserted a sponge soaked in chloroform into the zippered opening of the mask, closed the zipper, and stepped back. I watched in amazement as, within minutes, the horse gently sank to its knees and then lay on its side.
Siegfried completed the surgical procedure on one side of the horse, then asked me to undo the zipper halfway while he finished the operation on the opposite side. As he wrapped up, he instructed me to remove the sponge from the mask. We waited a few moments, and the horse gradually rolled onto its sternum and, shortly after, stood up, seemingly unphased by the experience.
Turning to me with a knowing smile, Siegfried asked whether my suggested anesthetic regimens would have been better suited for the procedure. In that moment, I had to concede that for a short surgical procedure on a young, healthy horse, the method Siegfried had used was equally as effective, if not more so, than the modern drugs I had championed.
That day on the Yorkshire Dales, I learned a lesson: while modern advancements in veterinary medicine are invaluable, there is also profound wisdom in the tried-and-true techniques of experienced practitioners like Siegfried Farnon. The blend of old and new, tradition and innovation, creates the best approach to veterinary care. I learned to balance the knowledge of the past with the promise of the future.
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