384 History of Animal Plagues. 



Schnurrer, for 1754, writes: 'The diseases in corn, which 

 had been observed in the few past years, were now also noticed 

 in Switzerland. There was seen on the ears a grey and rough 

 substance, from which a yellow-coloured sap exuded ; this black- 

 ened the whole plant within eight days/ ^ A very extensive 

 epidemy of ergotism prevailed in France, nearly approaching in its 

 ravages those of the Middle Ages. It began at Sologne, its tra- 

 ditional birth-place, and spread through the Llandes, Flanders, 

 and Artois. The ergot was so abundant that it formed one- 

 third of the rye. The animals fed on it contracted the same 

 gangrenous diseases as afflicted the human species.^ 



For 1752 it is recorded : 'In our time, the year 1752, there 

 was observed a plague among fowls here at Vienna, by which 

 an immense number were destroyed.'^ 



Epizootic anthrax was prevalent in Switzerland, coinci- 

 dently with gangrenous sore-throat* and malignant pustule^ in 

 mankind ; and epidemic diseases, such as small-pox, scarlatina, 

 and anginas were common in the human species. 



A.D. 1750. In Ireland the spring was dry and backwards. 

 ' Summer, except a few excessively hot days, cold, moist, and 

 winter-like,' but some days in June were the ' hottest in the 

 memory of man.' The same was recorded of July, when 

 Fahrenheit's thermometer, as on the former occasion, rose to 

 76°. A memorable fall of snow occurred on the 23rd of October. 

 November cold. ' About the middle or latter end of December, 

 the most epidemic and universally-spreading disease among 

 horses that any one living remembered, made its appearance in 

 Dublin, which seems to have been nearly analogous to the in- 

 fluenza and catarrhal fever which seized mankind in the years 

 1737 and 1743, but now particularly attacked the horses in 

 their turn, as may appear by a comparison of their respective 

 histories. It had appeared in England in November, and spread 

 through all England almost in an instant, and towards the end 



1 Schnurrer. Op. cit., vol. ii. p. 316. 



2 Verheyen. Diet, de Med. &c., Veterinaires. 

 •^ Plcnciz. Opera Med. Phys., vol. i. p. 15. 



■* Heckcr. Geschichte d. Neuern Heilkunde, p. 259. 



* Langhans. Beschreibung Ver.sch. merkwiirdigk. d. Siementhals. Ziirich, 

 1753- 



