412, History of A iihnal Plagues. 



In Scotland there was a remarkable destruction of cows. 

 '' At Cumbernauld, in Scotland, they have lately had a violent 

 storm, attended with thunder and lightning, which have done 

 great damage to the planting, and killed above looo cows. 

 Upon examination, it appeared that their bones were all broken, 

 and their flesh quite black, and when offered to the hogs they 

 refused to touch it/^ 



A.D. 1763. In this year a comet was visible, and there was 

 great heat and drought in the United States, which induced 

 bilious remittent fever in the autumn. Similar weather was 

 prevalent in England, Ireland, and France. In consequence of 

 the great prevalence of caterpillars of a very destructive species of 

 lepidopterous insect in Britain, this year is known as the^ wormy 

 year.' The whole of the herbage on the hills near the sources 

 of the Ettrick and Yarrow was destroyed by it.^ ' Great hurricane 

 and fall of snow in England. Much damage done; many men, 

 sheep, and cattle perished.^ ^ Catarrhal fever or influenza was 

 epidemic throughout Europe. 



Rutty, writing in Dublin, remarks: 'In May, 1762, the 

 effects of the epidemic catarrh among the horses, which began 

 in Dublin in March, 1760, are vet felt among the labouring 

 horses; and it has been computed that one in ten of those 

 were so affected in their eyes as to be blind to this present 

 time.^ * 



In Bcauvais, and some other provinces of France, sheep 

 small-pox was wide-spread. Anthrax [louvet, lovat) was very 

 prevalent in Switzerland. Glossanthrax appeared as a very 

 deadly epizooty amongst cattle in Lower Normandy, and 

 amongst sheep in Lorraine.^ In the month of March, the same 



Epidemiques, &c. Goulin. Memoires Litt. et Crit. 1775. Brasador. Mem. de 

 Matliem. et de Phys. presentes a I'Acad. de Sciences, vol. vi. p. 2i6. Vcrricr! 

 De la Conferie Venerie Normande, 1778. For Franconia, in 1764: Frankische 

 Samml., vol. vii. p. 542. For Italy : jMcrli. Lettcre Concern. I'Epidemia Sofiferta 

 in Napoli. Naples, 1764. Sarcone- Istoria Ragionata dei Mali Osservati in 

 Napoli. Naples, 1764. 



- The London Magazine, 1761, p. 441. 



2 The Farmers' Magazine, vol. i. p. 124. ^ The Annual Register. 



* Rutty. The Repository. 



^ Paulet. Op. cit., vol. i. p. 24S. Schnui-rcr. Chronik der Seuchen. Part 

 II- P- 325- . . 



