History of Animal Plagues. 285 



questionable if the true nature of the epizooty was discovered 

 for a long time after its introduction. A cure bv medicine was 

 sought for, and with the usual result. In this way, nearhj a yeari 

 was spent in nursing the virus, and in dissoninating it over the two 

 or three kingdoms, imtil at last the public mind beoan to be 

 roused to a sense of the danger that threatened the herds, and 

 legislative measures were brought to bear against the desolating 

 scourge. But it was too late, by many months, for these to be 

 made at all efiective. ' A commission for Middlesex was ap- 

 pointed on the 25th of November, 1745. The Commission, 

 with the short experience of 1715 to guide them, appointed 

 various cowkeepers and butchers as inspectors of cattle, and in- 

 structed them — I. To inspect cow-houses, and to separate sick 

 from sound cows. 2. To see that all cow-houses and yards were 

 kept thoroughly clean. 3. To kill all sick cows and calves, to 

 slash their hides so as to render them useless, with several cuts 

 from head to tail and round the body, and then to bury them in 

 graves ten feet deep, with two bushels of unslacked lime to each 

 cow. 4. To certify to the destruction of the cows, for each of 

 which the Treasury gave 40,1'. 5. To see that proper returns 

 were made by cow-keepers as to their losses. 



The disease having spread beyond Middlesex, an Act was 

 passed and received the Royal Assent on the 13th February, 174(5, 

 empowering the Crown to issue, through the Privy Council, 

 rules and directions in order to prevent the distemper spreading 

 amongst horned cattle. 



On the 1 2th March, 1746, an Order in Council was passed 

 in which the incurable nature of the malady is set forth and the 

 following regulations appear : — 1. Covv-kccpers must shoot in- 

 fected beasts, and bury them entire with slashed hides, four feet 

 deep covered with lime. (The direction as to the use of lime was 

 subsequently revoked.) 2. All hay and litter used by diseased 

 animals must be burned. No herdsman who has attended a dis- 

 eased beast is to go near a sound one without changing his clothes. 

 3. Infected sheds must be thoroughly washed all over, then dis- 

 infected with burning sulphur, &c., again repeatedly washed with 

 vinegar and water, ,'iiul not used for two nioiillis. 4. Convales- 

 cent anin)als are not to Ik- mixed with sound ones for one month, 



