40 5 History of Animal Plagues. 



and there were hardly any raisin fruits. The disease in sheep 

 began towards the end of October of the year 1761, and con- 

 tinued during the winter and until the middle of the spring-time. 

 Its ravages were greater in the months of January and February 

 than in those preceding this period^ and they gradually dimin- 

 ished in March and April. In the low^ damp, marshy cantons, 

 such as those of Bainctun, Carly, Esques, and in general in all 

 those which were inundated till the month of May, 1761, the 

 greatest losses were suffered ; while in those localities which are 

 elevated, dry, and sandy, such as the Dunes of Camiers, Danes, 

 and Ambleteuse, the flocks usually escaped the disease. The 

 lambs were much more liable to it than the ewes. Of all those 

 which were manifestly attacked, but few, if any, escaped. They 

 died from dropsy and rot {pourriture). Water was often found 

 between the skin and flesh of the head. The malady announced 

 itself by bags full of water beneath the lower jaw. The belly 

 was also filled with a similar effusion. The principal viscera 

 of the abdomen were corrupted, and the liver offered the 

 strongest indications of the affection, being filled with a great 

 quantity of flat worms which the country people called dogiies. 

 It was noticed that the sheep continued to eat and drink 

 heartily enough, and that they licked the walls of their sheds/ 

 and ate the earth. Their bulk did not diminish much, but 

 their flesh was pale, and had lost its ordinary flavour ; and in 

 general all the mutton which had been eaten during autumn 

 and winter was very insipid. The other beasts, such as horses, 

 cows, and pigs, were not attacked by this disease, but abortions 

 were very frequent amongst them, and obstinate inflammations 

 {feux opini aires, erysipelatous affections?). With regard to the- 

 human species, the mortality was no greater than in the preced- 

 ing years, although the autumn had been remarkable for the 

 great number of tertiary fevers which occurred in the damp 

 cantons.'^ 



In some districts of France, ovine small-pox broke out; 

 and in Lower Normandy glossanthrax destroyed many thou- 

 sands of cattle ; while in Austria an epizooty appeared amongst 



1 Desmars. Mem. sur la Mortalite des Moutons en Boulonnais. Epidemiques 

 d'Hippocrate. Paris, 1767. P. 2S9. 



