OF THE OX. 131 



orders, may therefore be referred in part to the 

 want of compensation to be granted to the 

 owners of infected cattle. It all might be almost 

 reduced to a question of money. For let us 

 suppose for a moment, that inspectors entrusted 

 with adequate powers, had been authorized, 

 after a close examination, to point out the 

 tainted cattle; to fix a moderate price on 

 them by way of compensation ; to have them 

 slaughtered, carried away, and immediately 

 buried, would not such a course have dimi- 

 nished the generation of contagious miasma 

 in a considerable proportion ? 



Moreover, some cattle-breeders and farmers 

 exposed themselves to the imposition of fines 

 and penalties without any evil designs; for 

 when they drove their beasts to market they 

 were only in the stage of incubation, at the 

 preliminary period, when it is really no easy 

 task to distinguish the distemper. The fol- 

 lowing fact will exemplify this. 



At each market, in spite of continual warn- 

 ings, the inspectors pick out and despatch to 

 the slaughter-houses a certain number of sick 

 cattle, not only those affected with typhus, but 

 with other disorders. One cannot help won- 



