110 ON AN APHTHOUS AFFECTION AMONG CATTLE. 
be the facts which he brings forward in support of his opinion, the 
author will not fail to be criticised, cavilled at, and misinterpreted. 
We are fully convinced that in more cases than one it is the 
having this fear before their eyes that has prevented persons who 
from long and practical experience, and a habit of judicious obser- 
vation, are fully capable of deciding the question, from venturing 
to enrol themselves under the banners of either party. It is not, 
however, our intention to be deterred by any such considerations, 
but rather to call upon those who are actuated by a love of 
science and a sincere desire for the promulgation of truth, to criti- 
cise our writings. Acting on this determination, we shall proceed 
to state our opinion, the result of careful study and of all the facts 
bearing on this subject. 
We shall commence by citing the opinions of the numerous 
veterinarians and medical men who have also studied this question. 
Some regard aphthous affections as contagious. Of this num- 
ber are Michel Sagar and Baraillon* * * § . The former states that they 
are communicable to men and animals. Huzardt, KraffJ, de la 
Hollande, and Lamberlicchi^, are also contagionists. 
Without wishing in the slightest degree to impugn the veracity 
of these authors, we must say, with Messrs. Girard, sen., and De- 
lafond, that their opinions are supported by cases too vague and of 
too little authenticity to be implicitly accredited. 
The contagiousness of aphthous affections has very recently 
been admitted and attested by Messrs. Fabre||, Maret.,and LevratH. 
They have been induced to believe in the possibility of contagion 
from immediate contact with diseased animals by the results of 
the inoculations which Saloz attempted in 1810, by order of the 
Swiss government**. 
M. Delafond, in his police sanitaire, expresses the same opinion, 
although his attempts to produce the disease by inoculation were 
unattended with success. 
Others, and by far the greatest number, entertain doubts. 
Among these, Huzard, sen., in his Precis sur l’Epizootic de la 
Yallee d’Auge,” has retracted the opinion advanced him in “ Les 
Instructions Veterinaires.” Saintin, without allowing these affec- 
tions to be contagious, does not venture to assert that they are not 
* Analyse de Huzard; Instruc. Yet. loco citato. 
f Idem. 
+ Police sanitaire de M. Delafond. 
§ Recueil ; Analyse de M. Girard, p. 350. 
|| Recueil, 1838, page 653. 
Journal des Connaissances utiles, tom. ix. 
** Police sanitaire, page 742. 
