ON EPIDEMIC DISEASES. 
405 
and leave not one animal alive. There were other instances in 
which, although it attacked cattle on a certain farm, it readily 
yielded to the power of medicine, or to that of nature, and not 
one in a dozen was lost ; while on a contiguous farm — the soil, the 
produce, and the management being apparently the same — not 
one in a dozen was saved. Its virulence evidently depended on 
some mysterious atmospheric agency. 
Was it contagious as well as epidemic? This seems to have 
been taken for granted by every one who had opportunity of ob- 
serving the disease ; and on this were founded the orders in coun- 
cil for the non-removal of infected beasts, the slaughter of them, 
and their burial within three hours after death. 
That ii was communicable by immediate contact there can be 
little doubt. The history of its introduction into Padua, and its 
propagation through the neighbouring territory, were sufficient 
proofs of this. That it might be communicated in a more indi- 
rect way, by the contact of the person or thing that had been near 
or had touched the deceased animal, was probable enough, and 
there were said to have been numerous instances of it; but, as is 
natural in these cases, the public were a great deal more fright- 
ened about the matter than the real danger would justify. 
The disease had far more of an epidemic than of a contagious 
character about it ; and all that was really necessary, or could be 
of avail in those cases, was to remove the infected animal from 
all possible contact with others as soon as possible ; to destroy all 
the litter and forage which was left behind ; to burn the less 
valuable harness or utensils, to scour the place well with chloride 
of lime, and to forbid those who attended on the sick beasts from 
having any thing to do with the healthy ones. 
Contagion would now be limited in virulence and extent; and, 
in many cases, it would be altogether destroyed by the plentiful 
use of the chloride of lime. It was also very proper to have the 
carcasses buried as soon as possible. After such diseases, the 
body runs to decomposition very rapidly, and the neighbourhood 
of a mass of putrid matter cannot, at any time, be conducive to 
health. 
As to the using for human food the flesh of an animal that 
had died of such a disease, common precaution would forbid it. 
The law which prohibits the flesh of an animal that had perished 
by any disease from being eaten is a very proper one ; for it is 
impossible to say, however strong may be the anti-septic agency 
of the stomach, or its power of converting a semi-putrid matter 
into wholesome nutriment, that injurious effects might not be 
produced in constitutions debilitated, or predisposed to disease. 
There were stories of pigs, and dogs, and ducks having pe- 
