“I am not crazy,” says Dr. William Farber, shortly after performing acupuncture on a rabbit. “I am ahead of my time.” If he seems a little defensive, it might be because even some of his coworkers occasionally laugh at his unusual methods. But Farber is certain he’ll have the last laugh. He's one of a small but growing number of American veterinarians now practicing “holistic” medicine – combining traditional Western treatments with acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal medicine.
“我没有疯，”威廉·法伯博士在对一只兔子进行针灸后不久说，“我走在了时代的前面。”如果他看起来有点防御，那可能是因为他的一些同事偶尔会嘲笑他的古怪方法。但法伯确信他会笑到最后。他是人数较少但越来越多的美国兽医之一，他们现在正在实践“整体”医学——将传统的西方治疗与针灸、按摩疗法和草药相结合。
Farber, a graduate of Colorado State University, started out as a more conventional veterinarian. He became interested in alternative treatments 20 years ago when he suffered from terrible back pain. He tried muscle-relaxing drugs but found little relief. Then he tried acupuncture, an ancient Chinese practice, and was amazed that he improved after two or three treatments. What worked on a veterinarian seemed likely to work on his patients. So, after studying the techniques for a couple of years, he began offering them to pets.
法伯毕业于科罗拉多州立大学，最初是一名非常传统的兽医。20年前，当他背部疼痛难忍时，他开始对替代疗法感兴趣。他尝试了放松肌肉的药物，但收效甚微。然后，他尝试了针灸，这是一种古老的中国做法，他惊讶地发现，经过两三次治疗后，他的病情有所好转。对兽医有效的方法似乎对他的病人有效。因此，在研究了这些技术几年后，他开始将其提供给宠物。
Leigh Tindale's dog Charlie had a serious heart condition. After Charlie had a heart attack, Tindale says, she was prepared to put him to sleep, but Farber's treatments eased her dog's suffering so much that she was able to keep him alive for an additional five months. And Priscilla Dewing reports that her horse, Nappy, “moves more easily and rides more comfortably” after a chiropractic adjustment.
利·廷代尔的狗查理患有严重的心脏病。廷代尔说，查理心脏病发作后，她准备让它长眠，但法伯的治疗大大减轻了狗的痛苦，她能够让它再活五个月。普里西拉·杜因报告说，她的马纳皮在按摩调整后“移动更容易，骑行更舒适”。
Farber is certain that the holistic approach will grow more popular with time, and if the past is any indication, he may be right: Since 1982, membership in the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association has grown from 30 to over 700. “Sometimes it surprises me that it works so well,” he says. “I will do anything to help an animal. That’s my job.”
法伯确信，随着时间的推移，整体治疗将越来越受欢迎，如果过去有任何迹象的话，他可能是对的：自1982年以来，美国整体兽医协会的会员人数已从30人增加到700多人。他说：“有时候，它的效果如此之好让我感到惊讶。我愿意做任何事来帮助动物，这是我的工作。”
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