[Dingeman van der Vliet, veterinary artist, 1792-1866]

Dingeman van der Vliet (1792-1866) from Zierikzee in province of Zeeland, was one of the first officially trained veterinarians in the Netherlands. He was sent to Paris on the order of Louis Napoleon, king of Holland, at the expense of the Dutch government. In the period of his stay at the Veterinary School in Alfort (1808-1811) he wrote a great number of letters to his parents and friends. His letters give insight in the daily life of the school in Alfort and the festivities in Paris during the reign of the emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. In a second article, the laborious built-up of a veterinary practice in those days will be described.