History of Animal Plagues. 49 



A.D. 870. A hot and dry summer, and nudtitudes of locusts 

 in France. ' A pestilence among cattle in some parts of France, 

 which spread so rapidly as to cause great loss to many.' ^ Tem- 

 pests of hail and lightning did great damage to people, cattle, 

 and grain.- 



A.D. 873-4. An invasion of locusts in Gaul.^ A very 

 severe and long winter, which destroyed great numbers of 

 animals and men.* 



A.D. 878. 'An eclipse of the moon in October. An eclipse 

 of the sun in November. In Germany, a great plague amongst 

 oxen, especially in the Rhine provinces. Soon after a pestilence 

 appeared in man, which resembled that in cattle.'" A certain 

 town in Wormacense, not far from the Palatinate of Ingalen- 

 heim, named Walahesheim, had wonderful things happen in it ; 

 for whilst dead animals were daily dragged from their stables into 

 the fields, the dogs which were m this town, as is their custom, 

 devoured the dead bodies by tearing them to pieces. On a 

 certain day, however, nearly all of them being congregated in 

 one place, they all went away, and so completely had they dis- 

 appeared, that none of them, either living or dead, were ever 

 found.' ^ 'A mortal pestilence amongst cattle, especially about 

 the Rhine. Dogs and birds, which at first collected round the 

 dead bodies, suddenly disappeared.' " This was in all probability 

 an cpizooty of anthrax, and the carnivorous creatures were no 

 doubt poisoned by feeding on the carcases. In Ireland, ' Great 

 dearth {ascolt mor) of cattle-food in the spring ; a great flux 

 {Jluxu.s mag n us) in the autumn.' * 



A.D. 883. A famine and plague in Italy, and in the follow- 

 ing year a pestilence at Oxford, which also aflbcted the cattle, 

 slaying great numbers. 



A.D. 886. ' This year pestilence in animals throughout the 

 whole world.' ^ 



A.D. 887. The previous year had been very wet, and there 

 were great inundations. 'A very severe and tedious winter, 



' Annales Fuldcns. Pertz, M. v. p. 383. - Chronic. Magtlcburg. 



' Ret^nnonis. Chronic, book ii. '' Annal. Fuldens. 



* Ibid. « Il)id. '' Pislor. German. Hist., vol. ii. ]). 570. 



* Annals of Ulster. " Eulogiuni Ilistoriarum. 



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