ITS CONTAGIOUS CHARACTER. 413 



warmer, and often fetid ; the danger rapidly increases, of 

 course. The animal will often press her muzzle very 

 hard against the partition as if for support, and breathe 

 from the mouth, catching her breath with difficulty, and 

 soon dies. The progressive symptoms vary greatly, how- 

 ever, in different animals ; but the cough is the key note 

 of the disease, and appears in all. 



It is only in the early stage of the disease that it is 

 curable ; and even if apparently cured, it is probable that 

 the relief is only temporary, and that the disease is latent 

 in the system, and ready to appear with renewed force on 

 the occurrence of any exciting cause. After the very 

 early stages, therefore, it is best to kill and bury the 

 animal, and thus save cost and risk of infection. 



There seems to be no longer room for doubt that the 

 disease is contagious or infectious. It appears to be com- 

 municated by animal poison in the air proceeding from 

 the lungs and breath, or the respiratory surfaces of a dis- 

 eased animal ; and any animal of the same species, coming 

 in contact or within the influence of this vitiated air, is 

 very liable to be infected. It attacks old animals and 

 young, cows in milk or otherwise, calves and oxen, indis- 

 criminately. 



From Collot, the author of a recent and valuable French 

 work on the dairy cow, (Traite special de la Vache laitiere) 

 who speaks of this disease, I translate as follows : " This mal- 

 ady is the greatest scourge which could fall upon the farmer ; 

 it is hereditary and contagious, and hence it will rarely 

 disappear, or rather never disappear, from a country 

 which it has once invaded. To my mind, the terrible 

 typhus is less to be dreaded than pleuro-pneumonia, be- 

 cause if it strikes severely it may disappear, and is not 

 persistent ; the evil is only temporary ; while with pleuro- 

 pneumonia it is lasting, contagious and endemic, or latent, 

 and ready to break out on any exciting cause. It is then 

 the most terrible of maladies which could threaten our 

 most valuable herds of cattle ; and I cannot comprehend 

 the apathy of the government with regard to so great a 

 calamity, which is insensibly extending in France, and en- 

 dangering the most powerful lever of our agriculture, neat 

 35* 



