History of Animal Plagues. 17 



proffered food, a hacking cough wore out their Iungs_, and the 

 hot breath came out from the parched mouth.' ^ 



B.C. 203. In the neighbourhood of Capua, a mightv swarm 

 of locusts lilled the country, and caused general destruction every- 

 where.^ 



B.C. 200. Cato the Elder, who lived about this time, in his 

 valuable and admired treatise on husbandry makes allusion to the 

 epizootic and other diseases of the lower animals. While giving 

 superstition its full share of attention, he wisely has an earnest 

 desire to be more practical. ' If there be reason to fear,' says he, 

 'the presence of an epizootic disease, it is most essential to give 

 to the cattle a mixture of salt, laurel leaves, onions, cloves of 

 garlic,'' incense, powdered rue, and burning charcoal, made up 

 with a little wine.' So much for his preventive treatment. His 

 remedial measures were simpler. ' If an animal becomes affected 

 with the disease, make it swallow an egg whole, and the next 

 day give a clove of garlic beaten up in wine.' To restore the 

 appetite of oxen which are sick, he recommends sprinkling their 

 forage with oil dregs, and this fluid might also be given in a 

 little water every four or five davs as a restorative and fortifiant. 

 'By this means,' he adds, 'cattle will be insured against disease 

 and kept in a thriving state.'* 



B.C. 175-6. Rome was again the scene of a dreadful pesti- 

 lence. This was preceded by a most inclement season, and while 

 the malady lasted swarms of locusts ravaged Apulia and cleared 

 off the vegetation before them. Sicinius the praetor was sent 

 with an armv to drive them away. Livy says that the disease 

 began amongst the cattle, and soon after attacked mankind. 

 Those who lived for seven days did so with great difficulty, and 

 were liable to be seized with a quartan fever. The lower classes 

 were the principal sufferers, and their dead bodies lay about the 

 roads, untouched by dogs or vultures, and were allowed to rot 

 there. No vultures were seen in this, nor yet in the former year.^ 



' Silitis Ilalictis. Punic War, cliap. xiv. v. 5S0 — 626. 

 - Livy. Lib. xxx. 2. 



' Onions and garlic formed the principal ingredients in a pretended specific for 

 cattle plague in a.d. 1865. 



* Kci Kustica Scriptores Veteres. Leipsic, 1735. * Livy. Lib. xli. 18 — 21. 



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