40 



Otherwise the disease was in so mild a form, that no 

 one, the inspector included, doubted that they would 

 mostly have recovered. 



In fact, in this degree of it, the complaint is 

 nothing- but a feverish influenza cold. One of the 

 beasts had it in the most malignant form. I asked 

 the farmer if it were different at all from the others. 

 He told me it was in the lowest condition of any, and 

 had been shut up all the winter in a dark box. 



I knew of a farmer who took every conceivable 

 precaution. He allowed no communication with his 

 cattle. He watched the dog's, he killed the cats, he 

 warned off inspectors, and on his return from market 

 every week he put spurs to his horse, and galloped 

 as hard as he could for a mile, when he got to where 

 an infected farm was situated about a hundred yards 

 from the road. Yet it was all to no purpose, the 

 malady reached his farm, and his loss was great. 

 Of course the explanation is, that though he could 

 warn off inspectors,* and watch the dogs, and tent 

 the birds, and kill the cats, he could take no measures 

 against the north-west wind which blew from the 

 infected farm about ten miles off. 



* The belief that drovers and veterinary surgeons carry the 

 disease is explainable in a very simple way. The plague is 

 perpetually breaking out at innumerable farm-houses all over 

 the country. Drovers and veterinary surgeons are perpetually 

 visiting farm-houses all over the country. One of these men 

 goes to one, and next day the plague breaks out. Everybody 

 says he brought it. But not a word is said about the ninety - 

 and nine cases where no disease followed the visit of a drover 

 or cattle-doctor. 



