126 THE CONTAGIOUS TYPHUS 



Council issued their .orders, prescribing the 

 public declaration of sick cattle, and that no 

 affected beast was to be conveyed either by 

 rail or by ship, whilst all the necessary means 

 of purification and disinfection were to be em- 

 ployed, &c., it was unfortunately too late, 

 the dreadful calamity having taken root and 

 multiplied its stem like the upas-tree. 



What a field for reflection there is in these 

 cases, which originating with the imperfect 

 state of the laws and institutions, have fostered 

 and encouraged the disease ! But this is a 

 subject which it would not behove us to dis- 

 cuss, and we prefer to show by the notes 

 which will be found appended to the end 

 of this work, and which are produced as at- 

 testing documents, that cattle proprietors, by 

 their own confession, too often sacrifice the 

 interests of the public to their own private 

 advantage.* 



Nor have we been able to participate in the 

 thoughts and reflections of so many sensible 

 and judicious persons, on the impotence and 

 dilatoriness of the public authorities, and also, 

 let us say, on the inadequate pecuniary means 



* See Notes K, S, T. 



