TIIEBLOOD,&C. 8 



o 



In this state the beast will sometimes continue two or three days, 

 at other times he will die in less than twelve hours from the first 

 attack. In a few instances, however, and when the disease has been 

 early and properly treated, all these dreadful symptoms gradually 

 disappear, and the animal recovers. 



Althouo;h much evil has resulted from the putrefied carcases of the 

 beasts that have died of inflammatory fever being suffered to lie about, 

 yet it does not appear that there is anything- infectious in the disease. 

 It is true that if one bullock on a farm dies of the blood, many will 

 usually follow; but it is only because they have been exposed to the 

 same exciting cause. Fortunately, also, for the farmer, it is almost 

 confined to young cattle. Those that are between one and two years 

 old are most subject to it ; but some of three 'and four years are occa- 

 sionally attacked by it, and I have seen others of double that age die 

 under it. Milch cov.s, or lean cattle, are in a manner exempt from it. 



It is to a redundancy, or overflowing of the blood, the consequence 

 of the sudden change from bad to good living, that this disease most 

 commonly owes its origin. It is most prevalent in the latter part of 

 the spring and in the autumn ; and very often, at those seasons of the 

 year, proves destructive to great numbers of young cattle in different 

 parts ot the kingdom. It is sometimes, however, seen in the v/inter 

 and the early part of the spring, when the cattle are feeding on tur- 

 nips. Some situations are more subject to this complaint than others. 

 It is most frequent in low, marshy grounds, and pastures situated by 

 the side of woods. 



It is a disorder of hioh condition and over-feeding. The times of 

 the year and the character of the cattle prove this. It occurs in the 

 latter part of the spring, when the grass is most luxuriant and nutri- 

 tive, and the autumn, when we have the second flush of grass ; and 

 the animals attacked are those principally that are undergoing the 

 process of fattening, and that have somewhat too suddenly been re- 

 moved from scanty pasturage and low feeding to a profusion of herb- 

 age, and that of a nutritious and stimulating kind. The disease 

 sometimes occurs when the cattle have been moved from one pasturage 

 to another on the same farm ; but more so when they have been 

 brought from poor land, at a distance, to a richer soil. There are in 

 the latter case two preparatory causes, — the previous poverty, and 

 the fatigue and exhaustion of the journey. 



Farmers may endeavour to account for it, if they please, from their 

 beasts having fed on certain acrimonious or poisonous plants, as the 

 different species of the crowfoot, or some others; but there cannot be 

 a moment's doubt that the evil is to be traced to their own bad ma- 

 nagement, and to that almost alone. I will not say that there may 

 not be some atmospheric agency. The blood is much more prevalent 

 in some years than in others, and more fatal when it does occur; but 

 if the fact is carefully examined, rapid vegetation has then succeeded 

 to a cold and thriftless season, and thus the causes of which I have 

 spoken have been more powerfully called into action, while the influ- 



