Hi story of Animal Plagues. 75 



but especially in Norfolk, the marshes, and in the southern dis- 

 tricts, than could ever be remembered, in which pestilence this 

 remarkable fact was observed : all the dogs and crows which fed 

 on the bodies of the dead cattle immediately became infected, 

 grew intensely swollen, and died on the spot. On this account, 

 nobody dared to eat beef of any kind, for fear of being poisoned 

 by this disease. Another remarkable circumstance noticed 

 amongst the cattle : the cows and full-grown bullocks sucked 

 the teats of the milch cows like calves. There is another fact 

 worthy of mention at this time, namely, that at the period when 

 the pears and apples would be fully ripe, the trees were observed 

 to blossom, as if in the month of April. The excessive mortality 

 amongst the cattle and the unseasonable blossoming, together 

 with the unnatural desire of the young cattle, were evidently 

 caused by the heat and dryness of the weather. And this is 

 also to be wondered at, the grass in the meadows was so rotten, 

 hard and dry, during the months of May, June, and July, that 

 if it were rubbed in one's hands it immediately crumbled into 

 dust. When, therefore, the equinoctial season brought rain in 

 abundance to the dried ground, the earth, on account of the 

 sudden opening of its pores, was prodigal of its richness, where- 

 fore it produced grass in large quantity, but of an inferior and un- 

 natural quality. The famished and hungry cattle seized upon this 

 with such avidity, and became so distended with sudden fatness, 

 that they made useless flesh (or flesh useless as food), and this 

 gave rise to inordinate humours. Finally they went mad, and 

 frisked about in an unusual manner, until, becoming suddenly 

 infected with the disease, they fell dead ; and the contagion 

 from them, owing to the virulence of the disease, infected 

 others as well. A similar cause can also be assio-ned for the 

 trees blossoming out of season.' ^ At the same time a disease 



' Matthew of Paris. Op. cit., ])p. 806 — 820, This year affords us some well- 

 marked examples of that particular disease termed anthrax, anthrax fever, car- 

 buncular erysipelas, or splenic apoplexy, and which in its more malignant forms 

 is now somewhat rare in England, though on the continent and in many jiarts 

 of the world it prevails very extensively and severely, especially during the sum- 

 mer season. In this country it is commonly known as 'black (piarter,' 'quarter 

 ill,' the ' blain' (glossanthrax), &c. It is perhaps the most general disease of ani- 

 mals — attacking quadrupeds, bipeds, fowls, and fishes. It especially attacks all 



