444 History of Animal Plagues. 



which, so far as I can leariij was never before observed, followed 

 the plague of men, and for many years, especially in the autumn, 

 increased at Moscow and in this vicinity, and perhaps elsewhere, 

 though there is little notice of it. The disease generally ran its 

 course in this manner: respiration was difficult, with panting and 

 protrusion of the tongue; the food was rejected, the eyes were in- 

 flamed and projecting; afterwards the animals became languid, 

 and the white of the eyes was then scarcely visible. The glands of 

 the neck, and even the head itself, were swollen ; in other cases, 

 the subaxillary or inguinal glands were involved. These swollen 

 glands suppurated either spontaneously, or by the speedy applica- 

 tion of emollient and maturating remedies; or there was a dis- 

 charge of mucus, analogous to pus, from the nostrils in those 

 which recovered; in others which had not these symptoms, death 

 took place in three or four days. In some instances there was 

 diarrhoea instead of these swellings, and the animals were unable 

 to stand; if raised up, they immediately fell down again on their 

 sides. When they became convalescent, they were often afflicted 

 with paralysis of the hinder extremities, and either at last died of 

 marasmus, or if young, after a long interval, gradually became 

 well. This disease was so contagious, that if one was affected 

 all the others were seized in a very short space; while other 

 dogs readily carried it from these to other places. Men, how- 

 ever, were never affected by it, though they handled the sick 

 animals. Also in Wallachia, after the serious plague of mankind, 

 this plague of dogs was observed, as eye-witnesses informed 

 me.'^ 



An cpizooty showed itself amongst fowls in Germany, coinci- 

 dently with ergotism in man. Taube says: 'When, in the spring 

 of 1771, 1 was continuing my journeys through the villages where 

 there were still unfortunate sick people, I found such a general 

 dearth of young poultry as had not been known since the French 

 war. On the other hand, in those neighbourhoods where the 

 ergotism {Kriehel-krankhe'it) was unknown, one heard nothing of 

 this scarcity, or at least it was not so general. I will draw no in- 

 ferences from this circumstance, but only add that every house- 



1 OrrcBiis. Op. cit., p. 155. 



