284 THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE, &c. 
ones, not knowing that any thing was amiss at the time. They 
were sent off to a pasture on the farm, and in two or three days 
one of them was observed to be unwell. It was brought home, 
bled and physicked, but soon died. Little notice was taken of 
the animal, and his remains unattended to ; but in the course of 
a day or two, two more became 7 ill. They were brought home, 
and also died. Presently the disease shewed itself among his 
own stock, that is, the milch cows and others that were tied up 
on the premises became affected. The owner naturally became 
alarmed, and it struck him forcibly that some infectious disease 
had been brought by the Irish cattle. He applied to different 
cowleeches and veterinary surgeons in the neighbourhood, who 
pronounced the cattle labouring under the present epidemic. This 
was in December last, and since that he has lost nearly thirty 
head of cattle — not more than five or six recovered. They were 
subjected to various treatment, mostly on the depletive system, 
but to no avail. 
On the 20th of February I was requested to attend, and, as a 
matter of course, I suggested a different mode of treatment, and 
for some time great hopes were entertained by the owner that I 
had hit upon the right path ; but, all of a sudden, our hopes were 
blasted, for the disease was determined to conquer. Two or 
three died daily for some time. Ten were labouring under the 
disease when I was first called in, and had been so for some time 
previously. Some were nearly worn out from debility, and others, 
apparently, had suffered but little. 
I attributed the unfavourable termination to the too free use of 
the medicine. It had evidently been pushed too far. I was a 
distance of upwards of twenty miles, and had not an opportunity 
of correcting its influence until it was too late. 
The same treatment was continued, but the medicine modi- 
fied to the best of my judgment, and every attention paid by 
the owner that possibly could be, yet the disease proved uncon- 
querable. 
I at length suggested, that every diseased animal should be re- 
moved from the premises to some distance, and every vessel used 
by the patients to be set aside ; also, the man who attended on the 
sick was now denied access to the healthy ones. This was done, 
and the cow-house completely purified. Since that time not one 
fresh case has presented itself, and I think that the owner may 
congratulate himself at its departure, although he suffered great 
loss. He has a large and valuable stock remaining on the pre- 
mises, and it is my real opinion that, had not this change been 
effected, its ravages would still have continued ; for at the time 
