History of Animal Piagucs. '-^^ 



what is narrated for the subsequent year, it would appear to 

 have been of a dysenteric character. What is worthy of note, 

 however, in reference to the condition of comparative pathology 

 and agriculture at this period, is, that though Wales often suf- 

 fered from the evil effects of general diseases among animals, 

 yet, from the earliest days of her written history, we find the 

 ancient Welsh far in advance of other western nations in agri- 

 culture and the rearing and preservation of the domesticated 

 animals. The state of their medical science is less known, and 

 regret must be expressed that the Red Book of Hergest {Aled- 

 dygoti JSlijddfat) has not yet found a translator;^ containing, 

 as it may do, very much that would be of value to the student 



* -^ ^ 



of medicine. 



From her agrarian laws, which are greatly superior to those 

 of France or Germany at that somewhat remote epoch, we find 

 every provision made for equitable dealing in animals, and some- 

 times also a reference to important maladies of a sporadic or 

 general kind. The laws of warranty appear to have been very 

 wisely framed, and enumerate the chief animal disorders as fol- 

 lows : — ^ 



'A horse is to be warranted ao;ainst three disorders : aoainst 

 the stairofers, for three dew-falls ; against the "black stran»"les'^ 

 (this has been literally translated, as the latter term is, at present, 

 the appellation for that distemper. With the prefix ''black," 

 it may mean the " glanders " ), for three moons ; and against the 

 farcy (the original " llynmeirich ^' appears to signify some disorder 

 accompanied with serious humours) for one year.' 'The worth 

 of a horse's foot is his full worth, and a third of his worth is an 

 eye, and the worth of the other eye is another third. For every 

 blemish in a horse, one third of his worth is to be returned, his 

 ears and tail included. 



' If a horse be sold in which there is a fault, but not visible 

 on the skin, it is not to be compensated, unless it be one of the 

 three natural disorders, but an oath is to be made of its not be- 

 ing shown. 



' Tlie MS. is now, I believe, at Oxford. 



'■' These extracts are from tiie Laws of Ilowel the Good, wliich were revised 

 about A.u. 1026. 



