148 
COMMUNICATION OF THE EPIDEMIC. 
mately in dissolution, in which case he has nothing to do but to 
bleed well, and he will have what he sought for. 
I would ask, what is influenza but sore throat 1 Then it must 
naturally occur, that abstinence from food in consequence of 
difficult deglutition induces sufficient debility without depletion : 
remove the sore throat, and the patient recovers ; therefore, 1 
repeat that, in my opinion, blood-letting in pure influenza, when 
the symptoms are all comprised in sore throat, cough, hoarseness, 
and fever, is not only uncalled for, but will do irreparable harm. 
COMMUNICATION OF THE EPIDEMIC FROM THE 
COW TO THE HUMAN BEING. 
By the same. 
The subject to be now considered is a cow of the short-horned 
breed, belonging to Mr. W. Smith, spirit merchant, of Surfleet. 
She was taken very ill on the 4th of September, and I was 
requested to see her. When I arrived, I found my patient labouring 
under the following symptoms : — loss of appetite — staring coat — 
arched back — heaviness of the eyes — sore mouth and sore teats — 
and with all the symptoms generally attending the prevailing 
epidemic. 
I gave her aperient and febrifuge medicine, and applied a mild 
digestive to the teats, and ordered the owner to keep the affected 
parts clean, and to be careful in milking her, which was done with 
great difficulty. 
20 th . — I found my patient much the same as on the preceding 
day, and continued the medicine. 
2T<tf. — A little better. Treatment as usual. 
22 d . — Continues to improve. The female that had been milk- 
ing her could do so no longer, in consequence of the teats becom- 
ing so painful as to make it difficult and almost dangerous for a 
female to attempt it; therefore one of the men servants was 
obliged to take the care of the diseased udder. 
About a week after the cow had recovered from her illness the 
same young man asked me what he should do to his hands, for, he 
says, “ The old cow has given me the epidemic.” 
I said “ No, you must be mistaken ;” but he said he was not, for 
the female that had milked her before had had her hands affected 
the same as his. I then asked him, whether he had been ill ? he 
said No, he had not been ill, only his hands and arms were very 
much inflamed, so much so, indeed, that he could get his coat off 
