ON THE EPIZOOTIC DISEASES OF CATTLE. 445 
disease began to be prevalent in his neighbourhood, and, some 
months before, several of the cattle had been somewhat tender- 
footed and tender-mouthed — in fact, “foul in the foot,” and 
“ blain” had been more than usually prevalent, although they 
had not assumed any virulent character. 
JVJr. Wardle, of East Sheen, informed me that, in May and 
June in the same year, an epidemic, affecting both the feet and 
the mouth, existed in his neighbourhood, but presently disap- 
peared. In the months of August and September in the same 
year it broke out again, and continued to appear at uncertain 
intervals until the summer of 1840, when it became prevalent 
in almost every part of the country. 
In January 1840 it was gradually stealing over various parts 
of the kingdom. 
Mr. Habin states that, on the 25th of February 1840, a lot of 
Devonshire cattle were exposed for sale in Chichester market, 
the greater number of which were labouring under the disease. 
At Aylesbury, it came under the observation of Mr. Lepper 
early in February, but he had heard of its previously existing 
in the neighbourhood more than three months before that period. 
It had occurred at that time in the practice of Mr. Dickens, of 
Kimbolton. In the same month it visited Gloucestershire. Mr. 
Tombs gives the following account of its appearance : — Two 
barren heifers, bought at Tewkesbury fair, were put into a yard 
with twenty-one milch cows. It was not at first perceived that 
they were in the least degree unhealthy, but it soon appeared 
that they were so ; for not only all the milch cows became in- 
fected, but they communicated the infection to one bull and 
five feeding cows tied up in stalls adjoining to the yard. Three 
sucking calves also caught the disease, and twenty pigs ; none 
of them, however, were lost. When attacked, the cows were in 
a yard, living on hay and straw, and the weather was cold and 
dry. In the course of that year one hundred and sixteen cattle 
thus diseased came under the cognizance of Mr. Tombs, not 
one of which were lost ; but among those that were neglected, or 
badly treated, several died. 
Mr. Plomley, of Maidstone, says that on the 18th of February 
it shewed itself in a dairy of twenty cows, all of which had been 
previously in good condition, and fed on hay and grains. 
An extraordinary account is given by Mr. Holford, of North- 
wich. He says that, at the beginning of the year 1840, a cattle- 
dealer brought several valuable cows suitable for the dairy from 
some of the adjoining counties. He brought them home, not 
suspecting in the least that any thing had been the matter with 
them. In a day or two afterwards he took them to a fair seven 
VOL. XV. 3 o 
