History of Animal Plagues. $'^'] 



In the year 1796 it was brought to France, entering by the eastern 

 departments. Here it was, as usual, attentively observed by Hu- 

 zard/ Brassier, and Guersent,- and in Holland, where it also ap- 

 peared in this year, it was reported upon by Forsten. From 

 1798 until 1801, it prevailed in Switzerland, and in 1799 it was 

 causing great destruction in Bohemia, Westphalia, Poland, and 

 other regions in that part of Europe.^ The various authors 

 who have written on this epizooty, as will be observed, are too 

 numerous to be quoted in our brief chronological history; it 

 niav therefore suffice to say that it was neither so general nor 

 so deadly as the visitations of 171 1 and 1745, owing perhaps 

 to its nature and the means for suppressing it being better un- 

 derstood. Its prevention, and not its cure, was discovered — or 

 rather once more proved — to be most profitable. It is calculated 

 that it destroyed more than a hundred thousand cattle before it 

 was extinguished in 1802. The descriptions of the symptoms, 

 the facts of its contagious and deadly nature, and the inutility of 

 attempting to cure the infected, are but repetitions of what was 

 written by observers in the previous invasions of the plague. 



A.D. 1794. An earthquake at Naples, and an eruption of 

 Vesuvius, which destroyed the city of Torre del Greco. In 

 Britain, during the month of January, rains were frequent and 

 heavy, and as a consequence floods did much damage. The 

 summer was very hot, and anthrax was again very deadly in 

 Bavaria.* In the Tyrol and V^erona 'ekzema epizootica ' was 

 prevalent among cattle.^ In the south of France, the horses and 

 mules of the French army were affected with ' mange ^ to a very 

 serious degree; the disease was transmitted to, and propagated 

 among, the soldiers." 



1803. Saitter. Beitriige zur Kenntniss unci Ilcilung der Rindviehseuche. Ulm, 



1804. Will. Bemerkungen liber die gewohnlichsteii Entstehungs- und Verbrei- 

 tungsursachen der sich in Baiern so sehr vermehrenden Viehseuchen allcr Art. 

 Miinchen, 1799. Beiickmdorf. Abhandlung von verschiedenen Seuciien dcs 

 Rindvichs. Berlin, 1791. 



1 Instruction surlesMaladiesInflammatoiresEpizootiques et particuliiniment sur 

 celle qui affccte Ics Betes i Comes des departements de I'Est, &c. By RIM. Htizard 

 and Desplas, Veterinary Surgeons, Paris. 



2 Guersent. Essai sur les Epizootics. Paris, 1815. 



3 Loriiiscr. Op. cit., p. 29. Nebel. Op. tit. , p. 9. 



* Lauhender. Op. cit., p. 165. '•' Botlaiii. Op. cit., vol. vii. ]i. 14S. 



• Lon^champs. Mcmoirc sur la Maladic Galcuse qui affccte cu cc moment Ics 



