24 THE CONTAGIOUS TYPHUS 



"We could have borrowed much more largely 

 from this source of biographical researches had 

 we not deemed that these quotations would be 

 sufficient for the purpose we had in view in 

 this work. But from these authorities we 

 think it may justly be concluded, that infec- 

 tious and contagious diseases among horned 

 cattle have frequently appeared from the re- 

 motest times down to the middle of the 

 eighteenth century. 



All these attacks of epizootia were a fre- 

 quent and severe cause of suffering and misery 

 among animals and men ; but the ravages 

 which they left behind them were of slight im- 

 portance each time, if we compare them with 

 those attending the epizootia which towards tKe 

 year 1746 affected the animal kingdom. This 

 dreadful scourge lasted ten years, and swept 

 away nearly the whole race of horned cattle 

 throughout Europe. It was closely studied 

 and thoroughly understood in its causes, its 

 symptoms, and its treatment by the scientific 

 authors of that day, and those writers, more 

 judicious than we, did not designate the 

 malady by the title of PLAGUE. This particular 

 visitation deserves to fix our attention in an 



