6o ' History of Aiiimal Plagues. 



rising as they did about Easter^ when the spring was coming in. 

 After these insects had eaten everything up, they themselves in- 

 creased the stench; the trees, also, stripped of their leaves, died 

 and rotted. As a consequence, there was great mortality 

 amongst men and animals, but especially in dogs, in the autumn.'^ 

 England and Gaul, and indeed the whole of Europe, suffered in 

 the same way, and from the same causes. 



A.D. 1030. In the old translation of the Ulster Annals in 

 the British Museum it is recorded — ' Maelduin Mac Ciarmaic, 

 (who had profaned the effigy of) the Lady Mary, of Kindred 

 Binni of Glans, killed by the disease that killeth cattle, in Irish 

 called Conacli' If this be a correct translation, which is dis- 

 puted, it would be the earliest instance to be found in the Irish 

 annals of mankind being affected by the diseases of animals. It 

 is difficult to make out the disease, however, for the term Conach 

 has had its origin in the popular belief, not yet extinct, that 

 horned cattle, if they eat the grass over which the Conach or 

 Connough IVorm (the large fleshy caterpillar of the Sphinx 

 Elephas moth) has passed, become afflicted with a fatal distem- 

 per characterized by madness, a sort of hydrophobia.^ 



A.D. 1035. A very severe winter, the summer extremely 

 dry. 'This year there was an unheard-of loss amongst animals, 

 and this, with the destruction of bees, afflicted the whole of Ba- 

 varia.' ^ The weather was so cold in England, in June, that all 

 the corn and fruit was destroyed. 



A.D. 1040. In Ireland, 'abundance of produce (??7^i^^ 7nor.- 

 fructum ahundantia) this year, and mortality of cattle and 

 swine.^ * This is the first epizooty specially mentioned as affect- 

 ing swine in Ireland. 



A.D. 1 041. Alost unpropitious weather, accompanied by 

 earthquakes, tempests, and inundations. It snowed heavily 



^ Hagek and Liboczaii. Op. cit., vol. v. p. 152. 



^ There is nothing at all astonishing in this relation of the Irish chief dying 

 from some cattle malady, probably anthrax. Such cases must have been extremely 

 frequent, if the ancient records are to be received as proof. Anthracoid erysipelas 

 (omait or homan) may have been one of those forms of anthrax which affected 

 men and animals in this country. 



^ y. Stainddii. Chronicle of Qifele. Scrip, rer. Boic, vol. i. p. 472. 



* Annals of Innisfallen. 



