484 History of Animal PlagiLcs. 



vears before havino- been buried In the fields and meadows. In 

 Francej anthrax destroyed many horses and cattle in Beauce.^ In 

 Finland the same disease appeared, and was attributed to the evil 

 workings of the infernal furies. ' The summer of the last year 

 (1774) was unusually warm and dry, and caused in Finland, to- 

 wards July, a severe plague in cattle, which destroyed many. The 

 disease was very different from that which in a former year raged 

 in Schonen, for it did not aff'ect the animals over a large district, 

 but remained in certain parishes and villages. On the other 

 hand, it had this special and sad characteristic : it attacked 

 many people who incautiously went among the sick and dead 

 beasts, and some of these perished. Many of the cattle died 

 quickly and unexpectedly ; in others, however, the disease was 

 not so virulent. The following symptoms were noticed : hang- 

 ing ears and head; watery and red eyes; hot and dry mouth; 

 nostrils expanded ; laboured and snuffling breathing ; head and 

 horns hot; the tongue rough and hard ; the palate white; sus- 

 pension of the secretion of milk, and absence of rumination ; 

 many had diarrhoea, others had it not. On the neck, and also 

 on the flanks and under the belly, hard tumours arose; these 

 were moveable, and often swelled and burst, discharging a sharp, 

 acrid matter; after being emptied they commenced to form again. 

 The disease was of so putrid a character that the animals fell to 

 pieces after death ; indeed, in such a way, that if cords were tied 

 round their horns to drag them away, these appendages broke oflT. 

 Towards the end of September the malady gradually disappeared. 

 After it had killed many horses and cattle, it began to show 

 itself in mankind. Those who had been engaged about the 

 sick or dead animals were attacked at first with a pustule on the 

 face, hands, arms, or legs; which pustule itched a little, became in- 

 flamed, swelled, and increased so much that, if report be true, 

 the head looked like a two-gallon measure. The tumour became 

 covered with bladders or vesicles; these burst, and gave exit to 

 a red and yellowish fluid, which at last became black and 

 encrusted. They who had the tumour opened and dressed with 

 tar or oil of tobacco, recovered. It was not noticed that people 



' Barrier; Chabert. Instructions et Observations sur les Maladies des Animaux 

 Domestiques. Paris, 1813. Vol. i. p. 208. 



