134 History of A7iiinal Plagues. ■ 



shillings for every supernumery dish ; the sword-bearer to have 

 four, and the mayor and sheriff's officers three dishes.' ^ 



A,D. 1544. In Peru, the wild and domesticated alpacas died 

 in great numbers from a cutaneous disease.^ This malady has 

 been observed to destroy these animals in modern times, when 

 they have been transferred from high to low countries. 



A.D. 1552. The previous year had been remarkable for very 

 unusual weather, the atmosphere being heavily charged with 

 water, and various electrical phenomena were manifested. Mould 

 spots, or s'lgnacula, were observed on clothes in Germany, the 

 water was affected by red discolourations, and there was an 

 exuberance of the lowest cryptogamic species of vegetation. 

 Anthrax appeared among cattle at Lucca in Italy. ' When, 

 however, the farmers had considered the nature of the malady, 

 they immediately slew any cattle that were af!'ected. In this 

 disease it was worthy of notice, that if the blood of any of the 

 infected animals came in contact with the bare skin of a man it 

 produced carbuncles, which, if not opened, were harmless — a 

 wonderful circumstance ; but if opened, and not immediately 

 cauterized, they would rapidly spread, and be the cause of speedy 

 death. The f]esh of the slaughtered and diseased cattle was 

 'cooked and eaten, and yet caused no inconvenience, but broth 

 made from it proved fatal to whomsoever partook of it.'^ 



A.D. 1556. An epizooty following a blight of the crops in 

 the cantons of Berne and Basle, in Switzerland.* In all proba- 

 bilitv this was anthrax. 



A.D. 1559. ' In this month (July) there occurred a remark- 

 able circumstance : several wolves came in open day from the 

 woods near Horla and Wolffsberg, and hunted cattle and people; 

 they destroyed several cattle. In the circle of Magdeburg, there 

 arose, in certain parts, a contagion and mortality among cattle.'^ 



A.D. 1567- Small-pox raging in the human species in many 

 countries. For the first time, for certain, according to some 



1 Maitland. History of London, 1739, p. 141. HoUnshcd. Op. cit. 



^ Garci/asso. Historia General del Peru, 1722. 



^ Wiei-Hs. De Prtestig. dcemon., lib. iv. chap. 30. 



* Urstis. Chronic. Basil., vol. viii. p. 22. 



* Spaiigcnberg. Op. cit, 479. 



