Veterinary repertory: observation and language
An animal cannot describe a sensation in the way a person can. Veterinary case study therefore gives particular importance to what can be observed: behaviour, circumstances, accompanying signs and changes reported by the carer. A repertory intended for veterinary work needs to take this difference seriously.
A reference built for veterinary readers
Our June 2019 newsletter introduced Richard Pitcairn and Wendy Jensen’s New World Veterinary Repertory. The work developed from the Boger–Bönninghausen Characteristics and Repertory, with additions from sources including Kent, Jahr and Boger’s Synoptic Key.
Its purpose involved more than replacing a few anatomical words. The compilers reconsidered how the material was arranged and how a veterinary reader would recognise the language. The history of the source remains relevant, but the route through it needs to make sense for animal observations.
Translate anatomy carefully
The repertory’s vocabulary uses animal terms where appropriate: hock in place of ankle, carpus in place of wrist, and foreleg in place of arm. Reproductive terminology is also adapted, with heat referring to the reproductive cycle.
These examples show why context matters when searching. A familiar human term may not be the heading used in the veterinary reference. Equally, a word such as heat can have more than one meaning, so the chapter and surrounding rubrics are part of the information you need to read.
Observe circumstances and accompanying signs
The work places emphasis on modalities and concomitants. A modality describes circumstances associated with a change in a symptom; a concomitant is something accompanying it. In veterinary study, these can direct attention towards observable details rather than an imagined description of the animal’s inner sensation.
It is useful to keep the observation distinct from its interpretation. Record what was seen, when it occurred and what happened alongside it before deciding how a rubric might represent it. This is a study discipline, not a replacement for examination or diagnosis.
Similar headings may still differ
The compilers retained distinctions between some similar rubrics with different remedy lists, using cross-references rather than simply merging them. Follow those references and compare the entries. A similar title does not guarantee identical content or provenance.
Our New World Veterinary Repertory entry gives further background to the book and its sources. Use the reference to organise reading while keeping appropriate veterinary assessment central to an animal’s care.
Adapted from Luke Norland’s newsletter of 28 June 2019.
This article is for educational purposes and does not replace individual veterinary advice. Seek appropriate veterinary care for an animal that is unwell.
