History of Animal Plagues. 299 



infection was supposed to have been communicated by some 

 droves lately brought from distant counties. In February, 1754, 

 it was stated that the distemper continued to rage amongst the 

 horned cattle in the North Riding of Yorkshire and some parts 

 of the county of Durham. In the month of December, more 

 cows died of the reigning distemper in St James's Park. The 

 malady continued more or less, as already mentioned, in 1755-6. 

 In the month of April, 1757, we find it stated that the conta- 

 gious distemper among the horned cattle had appeared at Lewis- 

 ham, in Kent, and in some parts of Somersetshire. On the 28th 

 of June the Royal assent was given to an Act ^more effectually 

 to prevent the spreading of the distemper now raging amongst 

 the horned cattle in the kingdom;' and in the month of October 

 the justices of the peace for the county of Essex, at their 

 general quarter sessions, prohibited all fairs and markets, in 

 order to prevent the spreading the disease. After this little more 

 was heard of the subject for some years. In 1758, it does not 

 appear that any cases were reported, and in February, i759j) a 

 day of general thanksgiving was ordered to be observed, because 

 of its cessation. The malady lost much of its virulency towards 

 its decline, and the proportion of recoveries was very much 

 larger than at its commencement. For several reasons, no 

 reliance can be placed upon the Treasury records as to the num- 

 ber of cattle that perished from it during its twelve years' reign, 

 but it has been roughly estimated at about 500,000.^ 



In 1769, the disease continuing to ravage Holland, it was 

 again introduced into England and Scotland towards the end 

 of that year. On the 9th of January, 1770, his Majesty, in 

 his speech to both Houses of Parliament, referred to it in 

 these words : Mt is with much concern that I find myself 

 obliged to open this Session of Parliament with acquainting 

 you that the distemper among horned cattle has lately broke 

 out in this kingdom, notwithstanding every precaution that 

 could be used for preventing the infection from foreign parts.' ^ 



' Much curious information rcsj)ecting llie invasion of the Cattle Plague, and 

 more particularly the ' cures,' will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine and the 

 Scots' Magazine for this period. 



^ The Annual Register, vol. xiii. p. 244. 



