RINDERPEST 283 



to 1750 it was estimated that three million cattle died. The 

 importance of this disease is shown in the fact that in Italy 

 alone during the year 1792 from three to four million of cattle 

 died from its effects. In the years 1844 to 1845, Russia is said 

 to have lost a million of cattle from this disease alone. Nearly 

 all of the countries of Europe have from time to time lost 

 heavily from it. It is stated, however, that England and 

 Germany have .practically freed themselves from it. Preven- 

 tive inoculation against this disease was introduced into Eng- 

 land by Dodson as early as 1744 and later, by Courtivron, into 

 France. 



§ 213. Geographical distribution. Rinderpest is a 

 well known cattle plague in Russia and the steppes of central 

 Asia. It has extended from time to time from its home in 

 Rus.sia and Asia, to nearly every country in Continental 

 Europe and Asia. More recently it has occured in southern 

 Africa and the Philippines. It has not been introduced into 

 the United States or other American countries. At present, 

 it is not known to exist in England, although in the past she 

 has suffered many destructive epizootics. 



§ 214. Etiology. The specific etiological factor of rin- 

 derpest is not known. Several investigators have isolated and 

 studied various species of bacteria from the tissues of animals 

 dead from this disease. Semmer of Dorpat has always found 

 the same organism in the lesions. His results do not appear 

 to have been verified. There seems to be no doubt in the 

 minds of those who have worked on this disease that it is 

 caused by a specific microorganism, most likely a species of 

 bacteria. Koch makes the following statement concerning the 

 etiology of rinderpest in the second report of his investigations 

 in South Africa in 1897. "^^^ efforts to find by means of the 

 microscope, as well as through cultivation, a specific micro- 

 organism in the blood have as yet been fruitless. I also did 

 not succeed in finding any specific microorganisms amongst the 

 microbes which the mucus from the nose, the secretions from 

 mucous membranes, and the contents of the intestines naturally 

 contain in large numbers." 



The virus may be transmitted from the sick to the healthy 



