818 
PLEUROPNEUMONIA. 
will, in many particulars, agree with that which an observer 
of the present day would give of the symptoms of the fatal 
lung disease. It is only, however, among modern writers 
that we find full details of the remarkable malady wffiich has 
done so much harm since its introduction, and has lost none 
of its virulence during thirty years of constant prevalence in 
this country. 
According to Professor Yerheyen, of the Veterinary School 
at Brussels, pleuropneumonia first appeared in Germany and 
Switzerland, about the middle of the eighteenth century, 
although by some the disease is considered to be identical 
with pleuropneumonia maligna , wffiich destroyed a large number 
of oxen in 1693 in some of the provinces of Germany. The 
same author, in his interesting account of the epizootic 
pleuropneumonia published in the 4 Journal Veterinaire de 
Belgique/ and translated by Mr. W. Ernes in 1845, states 
that, in 1743, the disease invaded the Canton of Zurich. 
From 1778 to 1784 it prevailed in Upper Silesia, whence it 
extended to different states of Germany. In 1827 it first 
attacked cattle in Piedmont. Belgium appears to have suf- 
fered also in 1827, and later the disease reached Flanders. 
Holland is reputed to have remained free up to 1832, wffien 
Guelderland first suffered from the ravages of the malady, 
w’hich continued with unabated force for two years. In 1836 
the disease spread to Southern Holland. In 1837 it was 
prevalent in more than a hundred villages in South Holland, 
and in that year it is said to have destroyed 7000 cattle. 
Until the latter part of the year 1840 the cattle of this 
kingdom were free from the epizootic disease, which has since 
that time spread so extensively, and is now so widely known 
under the distinctive name of pleuropneumonia. Of the 
statements which have been made respecting the mode of 
its introduction something has yet to be remarked, but, at 
present, the facts only present themselves for consideration. 
There appears to be no doubt whatever of the circumstance 
that pleuropneumonia invaded this kingdom at least a year 
before the importation of foreign cattle w as permitted. 
In the latter part of the year 1840 a fatal disease appeared 
among cattle in the South of Ireland, in County Cork. The 
malady, it has been alleged, was introduced from Holland, 
w 7 here lung disease then prevailed, by some Dutch cows 
which were imported by a friend of the English Consul at 
one of the Dutch ports, in order to improve the milking 
qualities of the native breed. 
This account of the introduction of the epizootic is not 
substantiated by sufficient evidence ; indeed, an inquiry 
