220 History of Animal Plagues. 



that secured Great Britain from that terrible ravage, which was 

 made by this distemper in several parts of Europe. 



^ The severity of this disease in England did not last above 

 three months, though it was not entirely suppressed till about 

 Christmas, but in several other countries it continued two or 

 three years, and I am credibly assured that in Holland it now 

 rages with as much violence as ever ; and that they have lost in 

 cows, oxen, and bulls, above three hundred thousand, 



' The Providence of God has so disposed the matter of animal 

 bodies, as to render contagious diseases very seldom infectious 

 to different species ; but experience demonstrates, that contagions 

 may be communicated to the same species by touching the wool- 

 len, linen, 8cc., to which the infectious effluvia of the disease had 

 adhered, though the two bodies should be yet a very great dis- 

 tance ; and I verily believe, that more hundreds died from the 

 infection, which was carried by the intercourse that the cow- 

 keepers had with each other, than single ones by the original 

 putrefaction. 



^The nature of contagious diseases are but little understood, 

 and it would neither be agreeable to my design nor useful to 

 the public to say more of this than what was evident; but I have 

 been particularly careful not to omit anything material, either 

 for describing the disease or manifesting the methods that were 

 taken for suppressing it, because it is more than probable that 

 the same care would be equally successful in any other species 

 of cattle. 



'The number of bulls and cows lost by this disease, in the 

 counties of Middlesex, Essex, and Surrey, were five thousand 

 four hundred and eighteen; and of calves, four hundred and 

 thirty-nine, and the money insured for them at forty or ten 

 shillings per cow, &c., was the royal bounty of his Majesty from 

 his own civil list, and though neither the four gentlemen nor I 

 made any demand for a reward, or for expenses, yet it amounted 

 to ,^6674 i^. xd. But the entire loss to the cow-keepers, as deliver- 

 ed in upon oath, was ,^24,500 (exclusive of the ^€^6674 15. id.), 

 though computed but at six pounds per cow, which, at a medium, 

 was not more than their prime cost, the dearness of keeping them 

 near London necessitating the cow-keepers to buy the very best. 



