146 REPORT ON MURRAIN. 



being manifested in the rapidity with which the diseased sur- 

 faces run on to gangrena 



The fatality, however, has not been so great of late years in 

 all animals, notwithstanding its prevalence — the general charac- 

 ters being much milder than formerly — the mortality, in a majo- 

 rity of instances, being confined to young or pregnant animals ; 

 in the latter case, particularly sows and ewes, when the cases of 

 abortion are consequently frequent, and the state of the system 

 so peculiarly susceptible to undue influences, that disease of a 

 complicated nature is set up from which death results. Cattle 

 are not exempt from these complicated additions to pathological 

 states, which exert their powerful influences against a speedy 

 recovery, or otherwise strengthen its virulence and fatal cha- 

 racter. 



As a rule, murrain can not unquestionably be called a fatal 

 disease, apart from such conditions as have just been considered. 

 Under ordinary circumstances, with proper attention, domestic 

 and medical, it has proved of late more and more tractable in 

 its general nature, deaths rarely resulting in adult cattle without 

 one or other of the complications alluded to. It has, however. 

 in the experience of the writer, not been the less contagious, 

 being readily communicated to oxen, sheep, and pigs ; neither 

 lias it been otherwise than prevalent, though probably not in 

 such extreme degrees as formerly, being confined principally to 

 districts where changes are frequently made, and fresh stock 

 introduced from markets. In all cases save one which have 

 come under the writer's observation, it has arisen from positive 

 contagion ; the exceptional instance not only baffled all attempts 

 to prove its origin satisfactorily, but also somewhat tended to 

 shake any perceived notions as to its positively contagious or 

 infectious nature. The circumstances are as follow : — 



About GO head of cattle for feeding purposes were purchased 

 in November, 1863, from a dealer who affirmed they were 

 obtained from farmers in his immediate vicinity, and never been 

 into a fair or market. They travelled a turnpike road for four 

 or five miles, and afterwards bye roads, to their destination, 

 passing several herds of cattle in the adjoining pastures on their 

 way. On their arrival they were put into a large central pasture, 

 where they remained for several weeks, till the weather proving 

 wet, stormy, and cold, and keep scarce, when they were housed, 

 and fed upon Swedes, oat and barley meal, with clover, hay, and 

 cut chaff. The byre which received them had not been tenanted 

 since a previous lot of fat cattle were sold in May previous, and 

 no animals affected with disease of a contagious character had 

 been in them for twelve years, when Vesicular aphtha had ap- 

 peared mildly among the feeding cattle brought from Yarin 

 fair. After the expiration of one month, when each animal had 



