History of A nimal Plagues. 1 1 1 



Lord Harcourt, then Lord High Chancellor, to grant such au- 

 thority as would be proper to make the discovery. Accordinsily 

 Mr Milner, Mr Offley, Mr Richardson, and Mr Ward, four 

 justices of the peace for the county of Middlesex, were appointed 

 to make the necessary examinations. Pursuant to these orders, 

 we went to Islington, where Mr Ratclift' had lost 120 out of 

 200; Mr Rufford 62 out of 72; and Mr Pullen 38 out of 87. 

 They were very unwilling to own it, because so soon as it should 

 be known none would buy their milk ; but Mr Ratcliff, a man of 

 good judgment in cattle, after much persuasion, gave us the 

 following account, viz,, that they first refused their food, the 

 next day had huskish coughs, and voided excrements like clav; 

 their heads swelled, and sometimes their bodies. In a day or 

 two more there was a great discharge of mucous matter by the 

 nose, and their breaths smelled offensively. Lastly, a severe 

 purging (sometimes bloody), which terminated in death. That 

 some died in three days, and others in five or six, but the bulls 

 lived eight or ten. That during their whole illness, they refused 

 all manner of food, and were very hot. We then advised with 

 several of the cow-leeches, or doctors, who all agreed that it was 

 a murrain, or rather a plague ; and that the methods they had 

 tried for a cure had proved unsuccessful. This disease was so 

 surprising, that some of those men who used to look after them, 

 were afraid to go near them. 



' We then ordered some of the sick cows to be housed, and 

 several sorts of cattle to be kept with them, to see whether the 

 contagion would affect any other species. The next day I made 

 a verbal report to their Excellencies, of all the several opinions 

 and discourses which I have had about it, and left them debat- 

 ing what method to take ; at last I was called in, and ordered to 

 consider of it again the next day, and to deliver to them in writ- 

 ing what would be proper to be done. Accordingly I drew up, 

 and gave them, the following proposals. 



* 1. That all such cows as are now in the possession of Mr 

 Ratcliff", Rufl'ord, and Fullcn be brought, killed, and biinif ; or, 

 at least, that the sick be burnt ; and the well kept and secured 

 on the grounds where they now are, that such of them as sicken 

 or die of this distemper may be burnt. 



