THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE, &c. 285 
it was accomplished two or three were infected daily. This has 
been practised by two other farmers with the same good effect. 
Now, if proofs were wanting as to the identity of infection and 
contagion, this will go far to establish the fact. 
A Letter from Mr. Holmes, V.S. on the same Subject. 
My dear Sir, — Since I wrote to you last month respecting 
the epidemic and its secondary consequences, I have been called 
upon to attend several stirks (one and two-years old) affected pre- 
cisely in the same way as the cases of 1840 and 1841, viz. a 
staring coat, a copious discharge of saliva from the mouth, large 
vesicles on the tongue, a clicking up and shaking the leg as if 
pricked by some foreign body, and, afterwards, a breaking out 
at the feet. In fact, the whole symptoms exhibited might be 
considered as exactly similar to those of the preceding years; and 
yet it must be remembered that these young stock were not then 
in existence. 
From what 1 can hear, as well as from my own observation, l 
have every reason for supposing that all our young stock seem 
to exhibit an extreme susceptibility to become affected with this 
plague, for such it truly is. 
The same remark will likewise apply to hogs or yearling sheep. 
I have not as yet seen any cases among young pigs ; but I feel 
persuaded that they will not be able to escape the contagion. 
The cloven-footed tribe will again have a general visitation. 
The real cause of this pestilence seems to be at present enve- 
loped in doubtful conjecture; and yet, for my part, I cannot 
avoid thinking that atmospheric influence is a leading agent. 
The influenza which prevailed to such an extent among the genus 
homo , a few years ago, seemed to me to exhibit the same charac- 
teristics as the epidemic or epizootic among stock; and, as the 
faculty assigned a primary place to atmospheric agency as the 
cause of the former, so may the latter be regarded as the cause of 
the present evil. 
Although I am not possessed of any preventive means, and do 
not dare to recommend any thing as a specific, yet I must confess 
that 1 think some means may be adopted to alleviate or mitigate 
the present evil, and thus prevent, in a great measure, the too 
frequent remains of chronic disease after convalescence has appa- 
rently taken place. I am quite sure that the lungs are more or 
less deteriorated, according as the symptoms are manifested, 
under good or bad management. 
As a proof of this assertion, in some cases of milk-fever and 
red-water that 1 attended, 1 was much surprised to observe the 
