CATTLE PLAGUE. 157 



meet. Twelve days is a long time for the iDCubation of cattle 

 plague ; but we have to observe, for the information of our non- 

 professional readers, that the date of the discovery of cattle 

 plague is quite distinct from the real date of its outbreak in a 

 herd." — {Veterinarian, October 1872.) 



By the activity of the authorities the outbreak was confined 

 to three infected districts, namely, Bridlington, Patrington, and 

 Pocklington, to which places the disease was clearly traced by 

 the writer of the article in the Veterinarian. 



I think the origin of this outbreak is most clearly traced, and 

 that the difficulty of the long incubative period (twelve days) is 

 no difficulty at all, for in all probability the heifer had been 

 more or less ailing for several days before the illness was dis- 

 covered. I think it right to state that I have dwelt longer upon 

 the history of this outbreak than perhaps w^as necessary, in 

 consequence of Dr. Parkin in his w^ork on Epidemiology having 

 thrown discredit upon the source of origin, and stated most 

 dogmatically that the disease was of spontaneous origin, and due 

 to something to be mentioned in a book " to be shortly issued." 



TEEATMENT OF THE CATTLE PLAGUE. 



The cattle plague may be classified as one of those diseases 

 in which all methods of medical and hygienic treatment have 

 hitherto proved unsuccessful ; and, judging from the nature of 

 the malady, always will prove unsuccessful. 



The disease, when induced by inoculation, has proved of a less 

 severe nature, and the per-centage of recoveries has been greater 

 in comparison than in that induced naturally. It has therefore 

 been supposed that if inoculation were generally adopted (the 

 disease never occurring a second time in the same animal), that 

 the great mortality might be to some extent avoided. Professor 

 Gamgee, however, concludes his exhaustive observations on this 

 point as follows : — 



" First. Inoculation induces, as a rule, a mild form of disease 

 amongst steppe cattle. In cattle of other breeds the loss has 

 sometimes been slight, but is usually as severe as that arising 

 from natural rinderpest. 



" Second. The inoculated disease is communicable by re- 

 inoculation and cohabitation. My experience w^ould indicate 



