History of Animal Plagues. 463 



treatment — all prove it to be the one malady. If there is any 

 advantage, any light to be derived from the different observations 

 of the authors, so as to remedy the inroads of the scourge, which 

 in consequence of the climate, the season, the seat of the virus, 

 the state of the humours, the circumstances in which the animal 

 was placed, and perhaps, also, from treatment, was some- 

 times eruptive, sometimes catarrhal, at other times dysenterical ; 

 — if there is any real benefit to be derived, we repeat, it is par- 

 ticularly that which may make us acquainted with the earliest 

 symptoms of the disease, so that we may either promptly protect 

 the healthy, or treat them before it shows itself. 



' This primary condition is difficult to discover, even for ob- 

 servant eyes, as M. Dufot remarks. Nevertheless, the general 

 apathy, as well as the dulness, announce the disease; and if we 

 add to these two signs the diminution of milk, the flaccidity of the 

 udder in the cow, and particularly a cough, with acceleration of the 

 pulse, we will have the principal signs which precede the malady, 

 and which are essential in every case for its recognition. With 

 regard to the prognosis, this is always directly related to the 

 svmptoms. M. Dufot remarks, that when the intestinal ex- 

 cretions were abundant (without being bloody), the animal did 

 not die. The morbific matter has only three favoural)le issues 

 to escape by, — either from the nostrils, the intestines, or the skin . 

 and these two last being the most proper to the advent of a 

 favourable crisis, they are the more or less fortunate according as 

 the humour is removed by them in a great or small quantity, 

 in whole or in part, and of a good quality. The issue by the 

 skin is always the most advantageous for a critical movement, 



brought on either by nature or art The cpizooty in 



Picardy offered some minor features relative to the communica- 

 tion of the malady, and to the general and particular care neces- 

 sary to preserve the cattle. In such circumstances, there is a 

 class of men in the country who areas dangerous as the malady; 

 these are the petty cattle-dealers, who run from one farm to 

 another nearly all their time, with suspected beasts which spread 

 the disease. Every means should be taken to expose abuses 

 of this nature. It was proved that one of these uuii who drove 

 about two beasts in a diseased condition, halticl with them in 



