i6 History of Animal Plagues. 



trickling clown the face, when the head is carried low and heavily, 

 and the eyes are closed ; when the saliva flows from the mouth ; 

 when the respiration is shorter than in health, and seemingly 

 embarrassed, or sometimes accompanied by groaning/ In chapter 

 xiv. we have a description of the epizooty. ' It is a grave disease, 

 consisting in ulceration of the lungs. It produces cough, loss 

 of flesh, and consumption. Another disease is noticed, in which 

 sometimes there arises a swelling of the palate, which causes the 

 animal to refuse food, to sigh, sitspirios^ lahorantes, and to seem 

 uncertain on which side he should fall. The palate must be 

 torn with the iron to make it bleed, and he n]ust be given 

 softened vetches.' Change of air he lays much stress on, after 

 recommending setons in the ears. — Suspiriose luboravtibus auri- 

 cidce ferro rescindendce, mulandceque regiones ; quod in omnibus 

 viOTbis ac pestibus Jieri debere censemus. 



The most sensible advice he gives, with regard to the treat- 

 ment of animals, is to separate the healthy from the unhealthy 

 — Segregandi a sanis morbidi; and he sarcastically makes 

 mention of Dolus Mendesius, a contemporary veterinarian, as a 

 man who recommended that the first sheep that was attacked by 

 thQignissacer, goxigxtnons erysipelas (?), should be killed and buried 

 at the entrance of the sheep-fold, as if he thought it a danger- 

 ous custom in those days; for this disease was often epizootic, 

 and it is believed now to be very contagious when so. 



A.D. 76. ' God took vengeance on the Aitheach-Tuatha 

 (Attacotti) for their evil deed (the slaughter by King Fiacha of 

 the white cattle in a.d. 56) during the time that Elim was in 

 the sovereignty, namely, Ireland was without corn, without 

 milk, without fruit, without fish, and without every other great 

 advantage.' ^ 



A.D. 92. A loimic plague is described by the Jewish philoso- 

 pher Philo, who believed it to have been caused by hot dust. 

 ' The clouds of dust suddenly falling on men and cattle, pro- 

 duced over the whole skin a severe and intractable ulceration. m 

 The body immediately became tumid with efflorescences, or ■! 



' i 

 1 Annals of the Four Masters. i 



