Life as a Young British Vet. Review on All Things Great And Small - James Herriot

At least in the United States, it's called All Creatures Great and Small, and it is the first in a series of four books. The others are All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, and The Lord God Made Them All. The titles are all verses from the Doxology, a hymn. The four books, which were written in the 1970's, track the early career of the author, a country veterinarian.

All Creatures Great and Small begins in 1937, and James Herriot has just graduated from veterinary school, and is now about to embark on an internship with Siegfried Farnon, a more experienced veterinarian. As is often the case in this book, things go wrong. Herriot dutifully goes to Farnon's for the interview-- only to find Farnon isn't there. Nonetheless, he waits and the housekeeper gives him tea while he waits. Then a client comes looking for Farnon, and describes his cow's symptoms-- at which point the Scottish-born Herriot discovers that he doesn't understand Yorkshire dialect. Fortunately, Farnon eventually does turn up and hires him.

Nonetheless, a recurring theme in the book seems to be Murphy's Law: ''Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.'' Herriot is plainly able to laugh at himself, as he describes his many mishaps-- which are often due to the recalcitrance of his patients, many of which are larger than he, the peculiarities of the animals' owners, and his own inexperience. But he also has his triumphs: in one chapter he uses an innovative surgical technique to save a seemingly doomed cow.

The progress of veterinary medicine is a recurrent theme in all four books. In an early chapter, Farnon shows Herriot his medicines and equipment-- some of which literally date back to medieval times. The four books span the years from the late 1930's to the early 1960's, and Herriot saw many changes in both veterinary medicine and agricultural techniques. From time to time, he will mention a new drug, often an antibiotic, or describe a new medical procedure, using plain and readily understandable language. Herriot also describes changes in professional attitudes. Early on, Farnon tells him that most country vets consider ''small animal work'' (treating dogs and cats) beneath them, as they consider treating livestock far more important. Farnon hopes to change this idea, if only because dogs and cats are easier to treat than cows or horses. In the second book, Herriot meets a vet who has become a specialist in treating pets, and who has become a leader in the field.

Herriot also tells anecdotes about his own personal life. He meets and becomes friends with Siegfried Farnon's younger brother, Tristan, who is also a vet. He meets, and later marries Helen Alderson. True to form, he describes his difficulties in this relationship. He first meets Helen when her father calls him to their farm to treat a calf with a fractured leg. Herriot, smitten by Helen, looks for opportunities to talk to her-- even going so far as to join the music club she belongs to. Later on, he attempts to take her out to a fancy a restaurant-- only to find the road flooded. Fortunately for him, Helen has both patience and a sense of humor and takes everything in stride.

Herriot writes with an easy, engaging style, but the more squeamish readers should remember that any book about veterinary medicine is going to include descriptions of both surgical procedures and sometimes gross symptoms.