446 ON THE EPIZOOTIC DISEASES OF CATTLE. 
miles from Northwich, and, from the superior appearance of these 
cows, customers were soon found for the lot. Of necessity they 
were driven to various parts of the country ; but, strange to say, 
the stock of all the parties that bought cattle out of the drover's 
lot immediately, or within a day or two, began to have the epide- 
mic. In one instance, it was considered too far to drive the new 
purchase home, and the owner ordered her to stop for the night 
at his brother-in-law’s farm. The consequence was, that this 
gentleman’s stock was, in a few days, suffering from the malady. 
The disease, for a considerable length of time, was confined to the 
parties who purchased of the drover, but by degrees it spread 
fearfully around, and intermediate farms on which none of these 
cattle had been received, seemingly became empoisoned, and all 
the cattle on them became diseased. 
Mr. Farrow, of Ash, in Durham, gives a similar history : — 
“ A farmer purchased a calf in the market, and on his arriving 
at home, in order to place the young animal in a warm and com- 
fortable situation, he took it into the cow-house among his cows. 
Perceiving, however, that the young animal was unwell, it was 
quickly removed to another place, where it soon died. On the 
third day afterwards, the cow that stood next to where the calf 
was placed took the disease. The adjoining one to her was 
affected three days after that, and, in less than six days, all who 
were in this house were affected with the complaint. The rest 
of the cattle on the farm were kept separated from these, and 
escaped ; but a pig in the same yard broke from his confine- 
ment, and got to the dunghill, and ate some pieces of turnip 
which were left by the diseased cattle. On the third day after- 
wards he was affected, while all the others escaped. This, then, 
seems to be a proper point from which to start in our inquiry 
into the nature* of this malady. 
That it is a highly infectious disease is already sufficiently 
proved. In by far the majority of cases there can be no doubt 
on this point ; and the history of the calf, just related, would com- 
pletely settle that question. No connexion has yet been traced 
between the disease and the pasture or the soil on which the 
animals had been fed. It has been equally prevalent and equally 
destructive whatever has been the nature of the soil or its pro- 
ductions. It appears to have been little influenced by the tem- 
perature of the atmosphere. It does not appear to have been con- 
nected with any typhoid or other disease to which the human 
being is subject. It is caused by some atmospheric agency, of 
the nature of which we are ignorant, and it is rapidly propagated 
by contagion. 
There is constant itching of the skin at an early stage of the 
