242 The Cattle-Plague. 



tion of the feet, eruption of the teats, and tendency to congestion 

 and inflammation of the udder. Amongst English writers there 

 is a pretty general agreement as to these external symptoms of 

 the plague in cattle. 



In Sheep. — The symptoms, as observed by the NOKWICH COM- 

 MITTEE, are dulness and indisposition to eat or ruminate, the circu- 

 lation and respiration being increased. In the second stage all the 

 visible mucous linings are congested, rumination has ceased, there 

 is a ropy discharge from the mouth and nostrils, with excoriations 

 inside the lips and gums. In the third stage all these symptoms 

 are increased, and accompanied by great prostration of strength 

 and bad breath. After contact with diseased oxen, fourteen days 

 elapse before the fruit of the contact appears ; but when inocu- 

 lated from the ox the disease has been produced in six days. In 

 1857 Dr. KkeuTZEE ^first described the symptoms of the cattle- 

 plague as observed in a sheep which had been inoculated on the 

 1st October. The period of incubation lasted till the 9th, and 

 was followed by general disturbance, discharge from eyes and 

 nose, prostration, moaning, and diarrhoea. Death ensued on 

 the 19th, Dr. Maeesch, who observed the disease in sheep 

 carefully from 1860 to 1863, states that the period of incubation 

 extends usually from seven to eight days. A violent case termi- 

 nates on the fourth, fifth, or sixth day ; but it is usual for conva- 

 lescence to set in and be confirmed in ten to fourteen days. 



Mr. Gamgee describes the symptoms in the buffalo : " in general 

 the febrile symptoms, discharges from the eyes and nose, erosions 

 on the gums and lips, maiked cutaneous eruption on the udders of 

 the females and the rudimentary mamma? of the males, together 

 with diarrhoea, are not severe, nor is the disease deadly." The 

 crisis is attained about the seventh day, after which the animal 

 usually recovers ; but in severe cases death ensues about the fourth 

 or fifth day. 



Respecting these external symptoms of the plague in cattle our 

 living writers are generally agreed. In order to identify the 

 present with former attacks, and with the same disease in 

 Russia, it will be necessary to give one or two quotations. Pro- 

 fessor Seifman, of Warsaw, observes : — 



"The beast eats little, stops its rumination, becomes nervous ; the mucous 

 membrane, gums, mouth, &c., throw out pimples ; there is a running at the 

 eyes and nose, and this running after a time gives out an oft'ensive smell ; an 

 offensive diarrhoea ensues, the beast coughs, becomes thinner, sometimes 

 grinds its teeth, lays down its head at one side, and dies without effort," 



Layard, in his Essay ' On the contagious distemper among 

 Horned Cattle, anno 1757,' p. 54, says : — 



" The first appearance of this infection is a decrease of appetite ; a poking 

 out of the neck, implying some difficulty in deglutition ; a shaking of the head 



