Day 114 - 04 Apr 95 - Page 62
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2 Q. Well, there are all sorts of different ways in which vets
3 are responsible for the welfare of animals. One may be
4 pharmaceutical treatment for infectious disease and another
5 might be the treatment of abscesses, bruises, broken limbs,
6 matters of that kind, might it not? Another is child
7 birth, is not?
8 A. You need raidologists as well. You would need people
9 who are specialists in cancer treatment. You need people
10 who are skilled in endocrinology. You would need people
11 who are skilled in infectious diseases. You would also
12 need people who were, perhaps, better trained for certain
13 species of animals than others.
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15 Q. I was going to ask you that. Can I start with this
16 proposition and see whether you agree with it. Even on what
17 one might call an ordinary qualification in veterinary
18 science is a highly specialised and difficult thing to
19 achieve, is it not?
20 A. Yes.
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22 Q. Then I suppose, this is what I was going to suggest next,
23 there are vets, perhaps many vets, who specialise in
24 particular kinds of animals?
25 A. Yes.
26
27 Q. Their knowledge is likely to outstrip that of even a
28 well-educated layman, is it not?
29 A. Yes. Most of them would obviously make it available to
30 colleagues who they thought had an interest and possibly.
31 Some laymen would have more knowledge because of those
32 laymen have taken an interest in a particular species.
33 People who look after dogs, for instance, very often have
34 more intimate knowledge of dogs than some vets.
35
36 Q. That is the next thing. You are constantly ahead of me but
37 that does not matter. There is really another layer on top
38 of theoretical veterinary or scientific knowledge in these
39 fields, such is as possessed by Dr. Gregory who is not a
40 veterinary or Dr. Pattison of Sun Valley who is, but there
41 is also practical experience, experience in the field
42 literally, is there not?
43 A. Yes.
44
45 Q. Day-to-day management of animals under one's care?
46 A. You asked me about science. Science depends a great
47 deal on both the practical man who might be a farmer as
48 well the theoretical man, the man in the lab who is looking
49 at bacteria, if you like take bacteria and viruses, so the
50 two have to combine; they have to communicate. One cannot
51 really get on without the other.
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53 Q. What I am driving at, and you probably already anticipate
54 it, Dr. Long, is this. As I have understood your evidence,
55 and this is in not a criticism of you at all, I hope it is
56 a piece of history, you are not qualified by reason either
57 of scientific qualification or of practical experience to
58 give evidence about the day-to-day management of animals on
59 intensive farms, are you?
60 A. I am not sure what qualifications you are talking
