THE CATTLE MURRAIN OF INDIA. 
27 
ened and 31 died, the disease ceasing from that date. 
Notice, although the disease was of a severe type, how few 
sickened, and how few died. Can this be rinderpest ? Pus- 
chima occurred about the same time in the neighbourhood, 
and especially among the Rajah of Benares' Cattle, but the 
mortality was comparatively trifling. 
Mr. Brodhurst by rough estimates calculated that sixteen 
hundred (1600) cattle died from disease or poison between 
October 1868 and May 1869 in the Benares division, but 
this only gives a total of one per cent, for the total number 
of cattle in the division. This shows that we cannot esti- 
mate the virulence of a malady solely by the number of 
deaths, unless an idea is given of the number of cattle 
exposed to infection. This must always necessarily be 
great, when we consider the immense geographical extent of 
the country, and that the bovine tribe are the usual beasts 
of burden. Milk and clarified butter are consumed by all 
classes of natives, and beef by many. 
As the diseases still linger in a few villages, I made several 
visits to the nearest one, and found the form of gootee had 
carried off thirty animals during the month ; not one had 
recovered ; five were still ill in a herd of between 250 and 
300, which mixed indiscriminately when grazing, the sick 
being left at home when no longer able to eat or walk. 
Although every facility was given to its spreading, it has 
died out without any treatment or preventive measures. 
Native apathy and their abhorence of trouble prevented my 
interference, and the same reasons stopped my making more 
post-mortem examinations. During my observations, five 
died, and two that were very ill recovered, which I attributed 
to a liberal allowance of gruel being given. The symptoms 
in no way differed from those already described, the crus- 
taceous eruption spread in two days from the head over the 
whole body ; and in those that recovered, the spots from 
which the crusts had fallen were devoid of pigment, but 
sprouting with new hair. 
I am almost alone in the opinion that the disease is not 
the same as the rinderpest of Russia or the cattle plague of 
England, 1866. As it is a very important question I hope 
you, Mr. Editor, will favour the profession with your opinion 
as to whether either gootee or puschima are identical with 
rinderpest. 
1 believe them to be a specific disease, the symptoms of 
which vary in intensity under particular circumstances, — that 
it is enzootic as truly a cholera is endemic, and has been 
well known in the country for very many years. 
