Histoiy of Animal Plagues. 69 



land, Ireland, Italy, Gaul, Sicily, Judea, Asia, and Africa 

 suffer. 



A.D. 1 154. 'There was a great destruction of the cattle 

 {indilibh — cattle in general) of Ireland this year. The second 

 Henry was made king over the Saxons on the 27th of October.' ^ 

 A.D. 1 162. Great tempests. The sea inundated Friesland to 

 an extent never before known, drowning thousands of people 

 and cattle. At the same time hail made fearful havoc amono- 

 men, beasts, trees, and horses. There was a famine in Poland. 

 In Mediolana fell twelve great snows, which greatly afflicted both 

 animals and ve2;etables. In June it rained blood. Famine and 

 plague in Aquitania." 



A.D. 1 166. In Saxony, Mieavy storms of thunder and light- 

 nins;, and inundations about harvest time. PIag;ue and mortality 

 in children and beasts of burthen.' ^ 



A.D. 1171. Inundations destroyed the crops in many places, 

 Quadragesima suffered most severely. Disease in cattle, sheep, 

 and men throughout Germany. Every place was filled with the 

 dead bodies of men and cattle.* On December 25th, terrible 

 thunder and hail in England, which killed birds, beasts, and 

 people, in England, Scotland, Ireland, and France.' ^ 



A.D. 1 1 72. The English king, with his arniy, returning to 

 England, brought with them dysentery, caused, it was said, by 

 eating too much fresh fish and flesh. This disease spread over 

 the whole of England. It was, however, prevalent in other 

 parts of the world." The Spanish chronicles say : ' There was 

 a sreat famine over the whole earth, such as had never been 

 seen since the creation. It was greatly deplored by all men, 

 for there was constant death throughout the world both in man 

 and beast.' ^ 



A.D. 1173-4. To veterinary surgeons it may be interesting 

 to know that at this period history affords us the first intimation 

 of 'influenza' in the human species. 'This year the whole 



1 Annals of the Four Masters. - Chronic. Magdeburg. 



3 Chronogr. Saxo. Leibnitz. Access. Hist., vol. i. p. 308. 



* Chronic. Magdeburg. Hoffman. Annal. Bamberg. 



* T. Short. Op. cit., p. 124. " Ibid. 

 '' Chronic. Conimbric. EspaJia Sagrada, vol. xxiii. p. 334. 



