History of Animal Plagues. 279 



'From the distemper getting into the Park^ I think there is 

 reason to conclude it cannot arise solely from any fault in the 

 food, because the pasture is always good there, and, from the 

 great number of horses, always kept low, and the soil never 

 dunged or manured, and the cows have plenty of hay in winter. 

 How it got into the Park is very strange, there having been no 

 fresh cows broucjht in there since Welsh fair in August. And 

 this is further very observable, that though this distemper seems 

 so very infectious among the cow kind, yet I do not hear any of 

 the deer have fallen ill, which is much more likely to happen to 

 them than to the horses, because they chew the cud, these do 

 not. I humbly therefore suggest whether it would not be the 

 most likelv means to put a stop to the spreading of the distem- 

 per, to forbid any cows or calves being brought to market, to be 

 sold alive, or that any farmers should buy in any fresh cattle for 

 six months, or till it is found that the distemper is entirely 

 ceased ; and that all fat cattle should be kept carefully separated 

 from the cows and calves, and that under severe penalties.' An 

 Appendix to the foregoing paper. ^ Upon my reading the fore- 

 going paper, some gentlemen present favoured the company 

 with the following informations and remarks. Mr Theobalds, a 

 worthy Member of the Society, and a diligent observer of remark- 

 able occurrences, informed the gentlemen present, that the first 

 infection of this dreadful distemper among the cow-kind was 

 brought over from Holland, in April, 1745, by means of two 

 white calves, which a farmer at Poplar, near London, sent for in 

 order to mix the breed; and that the infection was got to 

 Maidenhead, in Berkshire, by two cows brought out of Essex, 

 and sold at the fair there ; that there was observable a very dis- 

 agreeable smell in the clothes of persons who had been very con- 

 versant with sick cows, and that the infection had been propa- 

 gated by means of sheep, who, it is presumed, carried it in their 

 wool. Upon the mention of this scent in clothes, I remarked 

 that Dr Lobb, in his late book entitled Letters relating to the 

 I'lague and other Contagious Distempers, recommends to per- 

 sons conversant about sick cows to wear a linen garment (over 

 their clothes) wetted with a mixture of salt and vinegar, and he 

 gives many prudent useful rules to farmers for the management 



