146 History of Animal Plagues. 



phrenitis and vertigo. The herdsmen noticed that there were 

 worms in the heads of the afiected animals.'^ 



A.D. 1663. The year 1662 was remarkable for a great 

 drouoht in England, bat the subsequent years were wet and 

 unhealthy, not only in Europe, but also in North America, 

 where plants and animals were alike diseased. Rot in sheep 

 was particularly observed in England, Germany, and other 

 countries, and even wild animals were said to suffer from this 

 aflTection. In Germany, ' one owner, who had originally in his 

 flocks 3000 sheep, now had scarcely 40 left. This disease was 



commonly termed tgehi, egelichte, lehern Amongst wild 



beasts, stags and hares were the first in that year which, chiefly 

 in the district of Rodacum, were either found dead, or so de- 

 prived of strength as to become an easy prey to the hunters. 

 .... The bodies of the dead creatures, when examined, ex- 

 hibited the liver and lungs in a putrid state. The livers of 

 I stags were full of hydatids (t'ennium). Among domestic ani- 

 mals, the plague committed the greatest ravages in sheep and 

 •young cattle. The sheep, without any distinction as to age, 

 were affected; and, moreover, the animals in utero were found 

 to have the same diseased appearances.^' The causes were 

 alleged to have been frequent inundations, the honey-dew and 

 rust of herbage, and corrupt water. The disease continued in 

 the two following years. 



'The whole Venetian territories were seized this year with a 

 malignant epidemic, which infected 60,000 people. They be^an 

 with horror and a fever: some died quickly, the rest recovered. 

 It proceeded from monstrous and incredible numbers of small 

 worms.^ This year and the following, the livers of all sheep, 

 oxen, deer, hares, &c., were only bags of worms, like leeches, 

 and often the lungs also. Out of 3000 sheep not 40 were left 

 alive. Only old bullocks and sheep escaped, for all the young 

 and middle-aged died of this plague. Even the livers of young 

 in utero were eaten up with this vermin. Some farmers ascribed 

 it to the cattle eating iiumularia, which is very unlikely, both 



1 Thomas Bartol'nii. Epist. Med. Cent., iii. Ep. 48. Hafn. 1667. 

 - Frohmann. Miscell. Nat. Cur., p. 245. ^ Bonct. T. Short. Op. cit., p. 338. 



