14 RINDERPEST. 



terrible ravages that have actually resulted, when we under- 

 stand that these cattle are moved from their pastures in 

 immense droves, sometimes numbering one hundred thou- 

 sand, and how, as they migrate towards the southern and 

 western borders of Eussia, developing and leaving behind 

 them poisonous excretions, they thus distribute the plague 

 throughout Poland, Galicia and Hungary. Thence the pas- 

 sage to Western Europe is comparatively easy, unless the 

 cordon has been tightly drawn or the pole-axe vigorously 

 swung. Thanks to such methods established by decrees at 

 Berlin during the present century, the disease has never (says 

 Prof. Gerlach, 1st Eep., p. 25), when it has broken out in 

 Poland, and sometimes appeared in Posen, Silesia and East 

 Prussia, advanced since 1815 as far west as Brandenburgh. 



In 1841 it penetrated into Egypt by cattle bought by the 

 Pacha from Annatolia and Karamania, resulting in the deso- 

 lating loss to that country of 350,000 cattle. During the 

 Crimean war, and by the infection brought by Eussian cattle 

 into the Crimea, it was there fully developed; the French 

 losing at Samsoun 8,000 out of 17,500 beasts, and the Eng- 

 lish 4,000 out of 10,000, a loss ranging from 40 to 45 per cent. 

 The mortality in some parts of Europe has risen to 94 per 

 cent., and in some localties not a single animal was saved.* 



As the present apprehension of the outbreak of this plague 

 in this country has arisen from its recent spread in England 

 and Scotland, we will now present an outline of its rise and 

 propagation in those kingdoms. 



It is generally known in this country that the farmers of 

 Great Britain do not raise food enough for its population. 

 But it may surprise many to learn that the annual value of 

 produce imported, to supply this deficiency, is estimated on 

 very accurate data, at upwards of forty millions of pounds 

 sterling. It is believed that the prominent items in this 



 The number attacked In the Austrian dominions was 296,000, of which 162,000 died. In 1863 

 it again invaded Galicia (in which Country Prof. Simonds first saw the disease in 1867), Hungary 

 and its dependencies, fourteen per cent of all the cattle in those countries taking the infection, 

 and the average mortality as given in Schmidt's Jahrbuch for 1865 was as follows : Hungary, 65 

 per cent ; East Galicia, 77 per cent ; Croatia and Slavonia, 81.6 per cent ; Military Frontier 88 per 

 cent; Moravia, 88 per cent; Lower Austria, 92 per cent; West Galicia, 94 per cent; Burowina 

 and Styria (in which but a comparatively small number were attacked), 100 per cent. (1st 

 Kep., p. 11.) 



