Stolen Stories

                        I still can’t get into those sheep parasites, either figuratively or literally.   Well, maybe literally.  It seems like some days I’m up to my neck in them…literally.

                        Avid readers of these columns will know that for the last six months or so, my columns have been more on the entertaining side rather than educational.  I’d like to think they had some merit even though they were somewhat lacking in pure veterinary knowledge.  I guess manopause will do that to you.

                        Today’s column, however, is no different.  I have decided to bring you two more installments from my “stolen story” collection.  These were in some old Draft Horse Journals I was reading, and were just space-fillers.  Although not really veterinary-related, one is medical in content and the other does refer to animals at the end.  I thought they were interesting, and fall into the “stuff you should know” category.

                        Our first story begins with a rich, English nobleman enjoying a carriage ride through the countryside late in the century before last.  His drive came to an abrupt halt, however, when one of the carriage wheels was broken by a hole in the road.  Not being a handy man himself, he was dismayed by his predicament.

                         Fortunately, along came a peasant farmer and his young son who fixed the wheel for him.  The rich man was very grateful and wanted to pay the poor man for his services, but the farmer refused.  The rich man offered again and was again refused.  The rich man looked at the boy and made one final offer that could not be refused. “Let me take your son, raise him as my own, and I will give him the finest education possible so that he can have a better life.”  Reluctantly and sadly, the farmer agreed.  That simple decision would have world-changing effects.

                        The rich man was true to his word.  The boy was raised, educated and became a doctor…and a knight.  That peasant boy was Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin.

                        But, our story doesn’t end here.  One of the first beneficiaries of this new miracle drug was his adopted brother, the real son of the man who raised him, whose life was threatened by a raging infection.  Lord Churchill was extremely thankful that his son Winston’s life was spared.

                        While not really veterinary-related (even though it does deal with penicillin and bulldogs), this story does have a good message.  Rich people should always be nice to poor people, and poor people should always be nice to rich people---because you just never know.  We all should try to live by this.

               
                        Have you ever wondered why railroad tracks are as far apart as they are?  When the railway system was first built in this country, British engineers were imported to help with the plans.  They, of course, based our system on theirs in England.  Their railroad system in turn was based on their trolley program.  The first railroad cars were built by the people who built trolleys.  The original trolleys had been built by wagon makers.  The wagon makers always built their wagons to very strict design specifications regarding the width between the wheels.  Much variance in this width usually resulted in broken wheels.

                        Why?  Ruts in the roads were the culprits.  If the wheels went in and out of these ruts, they were more likely to break. It was easier just to make them the same width as the ruts so everything moved smoothly.

                        What made these ruts in the roads of Britain in the first place?  The wheels of Roman chariots. Our whole railroad system is based on the distance between these Roman chariot wheels, which in turn were based on the width of the rear ends of two horses.

                        Talk about not thinking outside the box…it makes you wonder how we ever got to the moon!  Maybe this story is a testament to mankind’s steadfast resolve to not only improve on what we know, but also to eventually break out of the ruts and shoot for the stars.  Or maybe the moral is to not stand behind horses…or in front of chariots.  I don’t recommend either.

                        Next time we will tackle those parasites…I think.  Just in case, if you have any questions, maybe you should give me a call.

Author:  Dr. John Jones
Image courtesy of Stoonn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net