208 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1758. 



cattle, lay with them in the same barns, eat of the same fodder, nay of such as 

 the distempered beasts had left and slabbered on, drank after them, and con- 

 stantly received their breath and steams, without ever being in the least affected. 

 Was not this a convincing proof? If in general the cattle be susceptible of a 

 2d infection, how came it, that not one of these 8 cows were affected ? 



In the years abovementioned the distemper spared no beast, but such as had 

 recovered from that disease ; and this was confirmed to Dr. L. by Mr. Mehew's 

 father and brother, all the chief farmers of Godmanchester, and was the opinion 

 of all the farmers and graziers in Huntingdonshire, who were so thoroughly 

 convinced of there being no 2d infection, that they were always ready to give 

 an advanced price for such cattle as had recovered from the contagious distemper. 



The Rev. Mr. Scaife, assistant to the Rev. Dr. Greene, Dean of Salisbury, 

 in his parish of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, acquainted Dr. L. that the farmers 

 in that neighbourhood lost, in 1746 and 1747, 1200 head of cattle; in 1751 

 470 ; and told him that Messrs. Ivett, Sayers, Moor, Dent, Lawson, chief 

 farmers at Cottenham, Messrs. Taylor, Sumpter, and Matthews, of his own 

 parish of Histon, and the farmers of Wivelingham alias Willingham, unani- 

 mously declared they never had one instance of a beast having the distemper 

 twice. Mr. Thorpe, a farmer and grazier near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, 

 had had beasts recovered from the distemper, which had herded with cattle fallen 

 ill afterwards, and never met with a single instance of a 2d infection. Mr. 

 Loftie, an eminent surgeon at Canterbury, had inquired for Dr. L. of the 

 farmers and graziers in that part of Kent, and about Romney-Marsh ; and 

 whence no belief of a 2d infection can be had. The Rev. Dr. Fountayne, Dean 

 of York, wrote to him, that no beast had been known, in his neighbourhood, 

 to have the distemper twice. And several persons from that county, and others, 

 had told him the same thing. 



If the above testimony of persons of character and veracity, together with the 

 concurrent persuasion of farmers in general be allowed of, it must be determined, 

 that there is no instance of a 2d infection. Supposing now it should appear 

 that this distemper is regularly, as in the natural way, though in a milder man- 

 ner, produced by inoculation, and that inoculation secures a beast also from a 

 2d infection ; then undoubtedly inoculation will be recommendable. The very 

 few trials made in England, and those not with the greatest exactness or pro- 

 priety, will yet serve to put this matter out of all doubt. The Rev. Dean of 

 York had 5 beasts inoculated, by means of a skein of cotton dipped in the matter, 

 and passed through a hole like a seaton in the dew-lap. Of these 5, one cow 

 near the time of calving died : the other 4 after going through the several stages 

 of this contagious disease recovered ; 2 of which being cows young with calf, 

 did not slip their calves. All 4 herded with distempered cattle a long while, and 



