242 Report on Steppe Mun^ain or Rinderj)est. 



escaped the attack were all steppe oxen ; they have been pre- 

 viously mentioned as being seen by us on our first visit to the 

 farm. The establishment of the cordon confined the disease en- 

 tirely to this farm, although there were in the village altogether 

 453 head of cattle, the greater part of which were very poor 

 weak animals, badly fed and badly provided for. 



The progress of the disease was rather singular at Zabrzez : 

 thus, 11 of the 13 deaths had occurred by the end of the third 

 day of the outbreak ; every one of the animals dying which up to 

 that time had shown symptoms of the disease. On the ninth day 

 subsequent to the death of these another animal sickened and died, 

 and on the fourteenth day after its attack a second ; while in twelve 

 days more a third was taken ill, namely, a young bull, whose 

 case will be hereafter recorded in full as coming under our own 

 immediate investigation. See page 256. 



Notwithstanding that the same sanitary measures were taken 

 at Kamienica as at Zabrzez, the disease reached the village cattle, 

 but was fortunately prevented making much havoc among them. 

 The ultimate result of the outbreak was, that out of 433 cattle 

 kept in the village, 65 were attacked, of which 37 died, and 28 

 Avere slaughtered. 



In Kamienica the malady chiefly prevailed among the cattle 

 of the small proprietors and peasants, and the daily lamentations 

 of the poor women, to whom was confided the principal care, or 

 rather on whom was forced the labour of nursing and feeding the 

 animals, at the losses they were sustaining, was most distressing 

 to witness. Nearly the entire means of living of these small 

 farmers depends on the well-being of their cattle, and to see 

 them swept away by such a fatal scourge could not fail to excite 

 our deepest sympathy. A gloom Avas cast over the whole village, 

 and fear seemed to be depicted on every countenance lest the 

 disease should still further extend itself. 



As a warning to surrounding places, notice-boards were erected 

 at the different entrances into the village, setting forth, by their 

 Polish and German inscriptions of " ZarAZA NA BYDiO EOGATE " 

 and " HORNVIEH SeuCHE," that the pest was there, while each 

 fresh place of outbreak was instantly surrounded by the military 

 cordon, and all communication effectually cut off. 



Besides Zabrzez and Kamienica, two other adjacent villages in 

 the circle of Kroscienko were the seat of the pest, namely, Tilka 

 and Szczawnica. The total number of cattle kept in the former 

 was 78, out of which 11 were attacked, and of these 10 died 

 and one was slaughtered. In the latter place 490 were kept, 

 and 34 became the subjects of the malady, and of these 25 

 died, four were slaughtered, and five recovered. It has been 



