CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



It was first experienced in England in 1842, and 

 in Ireland at least a twelvemonth previously. 

 Introduced, it is stated, from the latter to England 

 by a lot of half-starved cattle, the disease rapidly 

 spread over several of the dairy counties 

 Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Mid- 

 dlesex suffering most. Since that period, the 

 annual loss from the disease exceeds perhaps any 

 estimate that has been made. Its ravages have 

 been most extensive in ill-ventilated, crowded 

 cow-houses. Town-dairies suffer most severely, 

 pleuro-pneumonia sweeping off in a few months 

 almost the entire stock sometimes being absent 

 for an interval of weeks, and returning with 

 aggravated symptoms. In rural districts, the 

 disease may be found on one farm, those in the 

 neighbourhood being free. There are districts 

 where the disease has never appeared. Pro- 

 fessional 'opinion is divided as to its contagious 

 or non-contagious character. Farmers, however, 

 generally believe that it is contagious, and strong 

 evidence has been adduced in support of this 

 belief. The virulence is known to increase with 

 the absence of cleanliness and with overcrowding, 

 especially in swampy and marshy districts. The 

 disease is seldom observed by those in attendance 

 on the stock till it has reached the second stage. 

 The earlier symptoms are a slight cough, breathing 

 laboured, the coat staring, and dullness, with 

 general depression. These tokens frequently 

 depart for'a time, returning generally in a few 

 days with increased force. The breathing is then 

 accelerated, the cough becomes more painful, the 

 animal moves unwillingly, looks dull, the eye 

 anxious, the appetite and rumination being 

 impaired. In the third stage, rumination is sus- 

 pended, respiration short and catching, the belly 

 tucked up, the cough still more husky and pain- 

 ful ; the anxious expression is followed by the eye 

 becoming glassy ; condition is rapidly lost ; the 

 animal breathes with difficulty, and dies from 

 suffocation, or from general prostration. 



Various remedies have been tried to combat the 

 disease ; bleeding was at first recommended as the 

 sheet-anchor. When bleeding was practised at the 

 second stage of the complaint, it was observed 

 rather to hasten than to retard the crisis. Inocu- 

 lation, as a means of prevention, was much lauded 

 for a time, and its efficacy is still believed in by 

 owners of stock in Holland, Belgium, and parts of 

 France. In England it never found many advo- 

 cates. Arsenic and other powerful medicines have 

 been all recommended, experimented with, and 

 found inefficient The general opinion and prac- 

 tice is now, upon the first appearance of the 

 disease, to slaughter the animals affected on the 

 spot, and carefully to disinfect the premises. 

 Sometimes, however, treatment may be attempted 

 with single animals, at a distance from other stock, 

 or with highly valuable animals for breeding pur- 

 poses, where the means of complete isolation can 

 be obtained. If the disease is observed in the 

 first stage, blood should be taken, the throat 

 rubbed with a blistering liniment, the bowels acted 

 on by salt, and green food should be given. The 

 febrile symptoms checked, tonics, sulphate of iron 

 with manganese, should be given, a small portion 

 of nitrate of potash added, and the animal kept in 

 a well-ventilated place, all draughts being avoided. 

 If the patient is a cow in milk, cure is unlikely, 

 this disease being extremely fatal with dairy-stock, 



particularly those in full vascular condition. 

 Cold, damp, and foggy weather, particularly with 

 occasional gales, appears to hasten the develop- 

 ment, if not the generation of the disease. As 

 the disease is both epidemic and contagious, the 

 employment of every precautionary measure is 

 necessary. 



Eczema, fever in the feet, foot disease, mouth 

 disease, vesicular epizootic, epidemic, &c. are terms 

 for a disease which is highly contagious, as well as 

 epidemic. It spreads rapidly through the whole 

 herd, and may be communicated to animals of a 

 different species sheep, pigs, poultry, &c. This 

 complaint was unknown in Great Britain previous 

 to 1839. The first symptoms are a cold shivering 

 fit, the body trembling and parts quivering ; the 

 whole being cold, especially the extremities. There 

 is a discharge of frothy saliva from the mouth ; 

 food is refused, and rumination is suspended. The 

 cold is followed by reaction ; the extremities 

 become hot ; the muzzle dry ; the mouth, hot and 

 sore ; tongue, swollen ; vesicles appear on the 

 tongue, lips, and other parts of the mouth. The ani- 

 mal becomes restless, the legs sometimes shaking 

 with violence. The hoofs suppurate ; blisters 

 form at the union of hair and hoof, and between 

 the toes, and pus is sometimes discharged from the 

 openings. The animal becomes very lame, walk- 

 ing with difficulty, and placing the heels first on 

 the ground. The disease usually runs its course 

 in seven to fourteen days, terminating favourably. 

 There are cases, however, when the animal is 

 unable to rise, and there is a general prostration 

 of strength ; and unless the animal is nursed, and 

 care otherwise taken, death follows. The general 

 treatment should consist of a dose of salts, one 

 pound ; sulphur, four ounces. The feet should be 

 bathed, and if the animal is down, they should be 

 poulticed, and the hoofs pared close. If blood, 

 exudes from the toes, the recovery will be more 

 speedy. Dress afterwards with an astringent 

 lotion ; and if proud-flesh appears, a stronger 

 caustic must be used. The laxative medicine 

 should be followed by tonics Sulphate of iron, 

 two drachms ; ginger, two drachms, given daily. 

 Oatmeal gruel, given by a horn, if the animal will 

 not drink poured down the throat not less than 

 three times daily and green food or sliced roots 

 offered. Every means should be used to keep up 

 the system, as the disease is generally accompanied 

 by great prostration. Upon the first appearance 

 of the disease, it was regarded with great alarm 

 stock lost condition ; and where care was not 

 taken, death occurred. The disease is now much 

 more mild, less frequent, and is not a cause of 

 much anxiety. 



Cattle Plague, Steppe Murrain, or Rinderpest, is 

 the most virulent and fatal of all the diseases that 

 the bovine species are liable to. It is of the nature 

 of an eruptive fever, and is highly contagious. 

 It is readily carried by individuals from unhealthy 

 to healthy herds, and it is found that stock in 

 the direct line of the wind, several miles distant 

 from diseased animals, are certain to become 

 affected by it, and form new centres for its spread. 

 It is indigenous in the steppes of Southern Russia 

 and in parts of Austria, whence it has at various 

 times overspread the western countries of Europe. 

 The number of animals which have died from this 

 disease is almost fabulous. In 1745, it was im- 

 ported into England from Holland, and continued 



