232 The Cattle-Plague, 



justices to appoint inspectors autliorised "to seize and slaughter, 

 or cause to be slaughtered, any animal labouring under such 

 diseases." 



But, in spite of this Order, the pest raged with redoubled 

 violence throughout September. The weather was dry, and the 

 atmosphere in a favourable state for the absorption and disper- 

 sion of the septic germs. Unfortunately, too, the Order in certain 

 cases increased the mischief it was intended to subdue ; for the 

 inspectors being men often singularly unfit for the office, yet un- 

 wearied in their efforts to perform the despotic duties attached ta 

 it, carried the disease wherever they went, and left it where they 

 did not find it. The fact that men were to submit to the slaughter 

 of their cattle without receiving compensation did much to spread 

 the infection, for where disease appeared the owner felt no com- 

 punction about clearing off the greater portion of his stock 

 before hoisting the black flag. Gathering fresh force from every 

 fresh centre, the plague attacked the herds of the West Riding 

 of Yorkshire, cleared 30 of the 200 cowhouses of Edinburgh, 

 increased its hold of Devon, decimated the cattle grazing in the 

 Isle of Ely, leaped upon Derby and Dorset, placed its clammy 

 hand upon Worcestershire, fastened upon the counties of Cum- 

 berland, Northumberland and South Wales, and, wherever it had 

 previously gained a vantage gi'ound, improved it. Its ravages 

 amongst the London cowhouses was fearful ; it virtually swept 

 and left them tenantless. An instance of no exceptional cha- 

 racter may be welcome by way of illustration. The dairy of 

 Mrs. Nicholls consisted of 116 shorthorn cows, which cost 2530/. : 

 100 cows sold at a low figure, realising 5o6Z., and sixteen were 

 carted away and buried, medical advice cost 48/. 17^. ; total 

 loss, 2042/. 



During the same period the Council consolidated the previous- 

 Orders, and prohibited the importation of hides and skins, of 

 sheep, lambs, and all cattle into Ireland, forbade the entrance 

 of cattle into the Metropolitan Market, except for the purposes of 

 being slaughtered, empowered magistrates in Petty Sessions to 

 stop fairs and markets, and published papers containing sugges- 

 tions on the part of Professor Simonds, and a memorandum on 

 the principles and practice of disinfection by Dr. Thudichum, 



At the close of September the Privy Council, finding its 

 efforts to stay the plague unavailing, solicited the Queen to 

 issue a Royal Commission to investigate the origin and natui'e 

 of the discasCj and to frame regulations to check its progress. 



Throughout October, during the laborious daily sittings of 

 this Commission,* the plague continued to extend. By the 14th 



* The names of Her Majesty's Commissioners are as follow: — Earl 

 Spencer ,G • Lord Cranborne, M.P. ; Eiglit Hon. IJobert Lowe, M.P, ;. 



