In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 41 



writes — " Influenza appeared in Stirlingshire, in the 

 north of Scotland, in the months of September and 

 October, and horses seem to have been affected with 

 cold and cough at the outset of the attack on man. 

 Vast numbers of horses died during this year in London 

 and neighbourhood from an epizootic, probably influenza.'' 

 Two years later, in 1760, influenza was again epizootic 

 in Great Britain and other portions of Europe. Fleming, 

 referring to this year, writes — "At the same time an 

 epizootic manifested itself amongst horses, which af- 

 fected, it is supposed, every animal in the locality " — 

 Cleveland, county of Cork. It was very fatal among 

 horses in London in January, as the chronicle of the 

 Annual Register for that month says — " A distemper 

 which rages amongst the horses makes great havoc in 

 and about towns. Nearly one hundred died in one 

 week. Ophthalmia prevailed during the north-east winds 

 of April, and an epizootic amongst horses at the same 

 time, of a nature of an epidemic catarrhal fever, which 

 took its rise in the winter, and was also common to 

 other parts of Europe. It raged in London and other 

 parts of England, in Januaiy, February, and March, 

 and seized our horses in Dublin at the end of March. 

 Moved westward as other epidemics frequently do, 

 and on the 4th of April it had become general in this 

 city, and continued to the end of that month. The 

 mules also were affected." The latter part of 1775, 

 was marked in England by an epidemic of influenza. 

 The historian of this epidemic, Dr Fothergill, of 

 London, with praiseworthy zeal, collected reports from 

 all his medical brethren in all parts of England who 



