History of Animal Plagues. 231 



A.D. 1 7 19. This year an aurora borealis was observed, which 

 was calculated to be no more than thirty-eight miles from the 

 earth. An epizooty of variola ovina in the Venetian States/ as well 

 as in Bohemia. In the latter country it is thus announced : 

 ' In Reichstadtj there has appeared for the last two months, a 

 disease resembling the small-pox of sheep {scliafblattern). In 

 Brzesniowitz, the geese suffered from a disease. The livers and 

 gall-bladders became so enlarged that at last they were ruptured, 

 and the creatures died. The skin of the body was yellow. In 

 addition to this, we may relate that a plague among certain 

 vermin has been noticed at Zurich ; the wasps and lizards 

 (salamanders) died in large numbers.' ^ 



A great mortality prevailed among the silkworms in Italy.' 



Dogs were attacked with rabies in different countries, par- 

 ticularly in Silesia and France, from this time until 1721.'' 



A.D. 1720. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are mentioned 

 in this year. A deadly epidemy raged in various parts of France, 

 but especially in Provence, and killed an immense number of 

 people. Miliary fever prevailed in the Lower Seine. From 1719 

 to 1721, strange irruptions of mice are recorded. Especially was 

 this remarkable event observed in Transylvania, and it is thus 

 described : ' In the midst of so many phases of the Transylvanian 

 epidemy, and after the memorable drought of 1719 had burnt 

 up the earth with heat mildew rendered the crops use- 

 less, and an incredible number of mice appeared. The troubled 

 people beheld them coming from the east, and successively occu- 

 pying the country, one swarm after another. There was much 

 difference in their size and colour ; most of them were like the 

 domestic mouse, some of them resembled moles or the lesser cat- 

 kind {catorum mitiorum) ; and which you would say equalled in 

 size the alpestres mures. From the month of May until late in 

 the autumn, they spread through almost the whole province to- 

 wards the west, perforating the earth on all sides witii contigu- 

 ous holes like those of a sieve. At first they ate only the tender 

 grass, then the green corn, and lastly they consumed the grain. 

 Strange to relate, towards the close of the autumn, and as it in- 



' Bollaiii. Op. cit., vol. ii. p. 134. " l?rcslauer Samml., vol. x. p. 4G0. 



■* Ibid. vol. viii. p. 680. ' IVirth. Op. cit., p. 236. 



