399 
ON EPIDEMIC DISEASES. 
By Mr . Youatt. 
[Continued from page 347.] 
Before we enter into a consideration of the recent epidemics 
that have destroyed so many of our cattle, it will be useful once 
more to refer to the existence and character of these pests in 
other countries, and immediately preceding their dreadful ravages 
among us. 
A history of this has been given in our work on “ Cattle;” but 
as that is not in the hands of all our readers, we shall repeat — 
with some alteration — and at considerable length, the account 
which was there stated. 
It was in 1711 that the epidemics commenced, which, although 
sometimes suspending their ravages for a few years, or rather visit- 
ing new districts when they ceased to desolate others, continued 
to be the objects of terror until the establishment of veterinary 
schools. 
The reign of the epidemic of 1711 seems to be clearly traced*. 
Some cattle merchants were importing, according to their annual 
custom, beasts from Dalmatia, which were in request in some parts 
of Italy. One of these oxen being taken ill, and straying from the 
herd, was abandoned by the merchants in the neighbourhood of 
Padua. A servant of the canon of Padua found him, and, whether 
>vith or without the knowledge of his master does not appear, 
took possession of him, and put him into a cow-house among 
others that were perfectly well. In a few days he died ; but 
not until he had infected every beast ; and so surely, that they all 
perished except one, in whose neck setons had been placedf. The 
contagious nature of the disease (for the contagiousness of true 
murrain cannot for a moment be doubted), finding a too power- 
ful auxiliary in some peculiar state of the atmosphere at that 
time, the malady quickly spread through the whole Venetian ter- 
ritory. 
Two Italian physicians, Rammazini and Lancisi, have left us 
more intelligible and consistent accounts of it than we have of 
any of the epidemics that speedily followed on the continent of 
Europe, or of those that occurred in our own country nearly half 
a century afterwards: 
* Vid. Rammazini et Lancisi. 
t Rammazini de Contagiosa Epidemia, p. 456. See also Hira on the Mor- 
tality of Horned Cattle, p. 16. 
