Histojy of Animal Plagues. 289 



These measures, however, had but a very partial effect. 

 For the next two or three years this local war against the disease 

 was allowed to be waged, the Government occasionally interfer- 

 ing when the magistrates permitted fairs in places likely to be in- 

 jurious to neighbouring counties. It continued up to 1756 with 

 considerable variations, the Plague being intense in some coun- 

 ties, milder in others, and absent from many, until it wore itself 

 out. There is no accurate record within our knowlcdo-e of the 

 mortality produced by it. In the second year of the visitation, 

 100,000 head of cattle are supposed to have been lost in Lincoln- 

 shire ; in the third year, more than 40,000 died in Leicester- 

 shire and Nottinghamshire, and in about six months of that year, 

 30,000 perished in Cheshire. In the same year, 80,000 were 

 killed, under the Orders in Council, to prevent the spread of the 

 contagion; and in the following year, they were destroyed at the 

 rate of 7000 a month ; but a far larger number perished by the 

 disease. During its course it must have destroyed several hun- 

 dred thousand cattle.^ 



as shall be stopped by virtue of his Majesty's Order in Council, dated March 22, 

 1747-8. 



' 15. All contracts and bargains between the buj'ers and sellers of cattle, con- 

 ditional upon such cattle, or any number of them, surviving a certain time, should 

 be void, and further penalties be inflicted upon all those who shall so offend. 



' 16. Reward equal to the full value should be paid to the owner of every first, 

 second, and third beast of the whole stock of horned cattle upon every farm or 

 holding [or upon commons thereto belonging] of the same person, that shall be 

 seized with the distemper, and that shall be separated, killed, and buried conform- 

 able to his Majesty's Order in Council of March 22, 1747-8, provided such beast 

 or beasts shall have been the real property and remained in the actual possession of 

 such owner 40 days at the least immediately preceding such killing. 



' These resolutions were agreed to by the House, with amendments, shown in 

 brackets, in the 14th and i6th, and a Bill was founded upon them, which passed 

 through the House of Commons, but was rejected on going into committee by the 

 House of Lords, perhaps in consequence of the approaching dissolution of Parlia- 

 ment, and a simple Continuance Bill was passed instead.' 



' First Report of the Royal Commissioners on the Cattle Plague, p. viii. The 

 remembrance of this fearful epizooty among the cattle in Britain has not yet passed 

 away. Mr Cecly, for example, in speaking of the epizootics |and enzootics of the 

 Vale of Aylesbury, says : ' In common with many other parts of the kingdom, this 

 neighbourhood suffered much from tlie contagious epizocity which prevailed so 

 fatally among horned cattle from the years 1745 to 1780. Tlic places of interment 

 of many of its victims are yet pointed out, and the dismal talcs of its ravages are 

 remembered by many with whom 1 have conversed.' — Obsen'otions on (he Vatiolct 

 Vaccin<e. Trans. Provincial Med. and Surg. Assoc. 



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