696 
ON THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE. 
By Mr. John Storey, Pickering. 
I am induced to offer a few remarks on the present epidemic 
which has for some time past proved so fatal among horned 
cattle in many parts of the country. The North Riding of York- 
shire has not been exempted from its malignity, and this neigh- 
bourhood has had its share of the fatal disease. 
I have had to attend many extreme cases, and, from the expe- 
rience I had of the epidemic of 1839-40, and 41, I am decidedly 
of opinion that many of the present cases had their origin in, 
and may be traced to, imperfect and unskilful treatment of the 
former disease. As it was not of so fatal a nature as the present 
disease, many of the farmers at the periods above stated under- 
took to cure their own cattle by the use of the recipe given by 
Mr. Sewell to the Agricultural Association, and in some slight 
cases administered no medicine at all : thus, for want of skill and 
judgment as to the proper treatment of the disorder in its various 
forms and manifestations, they seldom did more than remove 
the external symptoms, while the seeds of the disease remained 
internally quiescent, and are now brought forth with increased 
malignity in the present formidable epizootic. 
In some cases, where I have been called in at the commence- 
ment of the disease, I have not found it difficult to effect a cure, 
although every symptom of the approaching disorder was be- 
coming manifest In one case, where the disorder had been al- 
lowed to proceed for several days without applying for a remedy, 
I found it very difficult to remove it ; and although by uncommon 
perseverance l succeeded in completely eradicating the disorder, 
yet the udder was so much affected by it, that two of its quarters 
have become totally useless for the time to come. I have had 
several cases which I pronounced incurable, and of course would 
give them no medicine. 
I have only lost one out of several which I have had under 
my care ; the following were its symptoms : — Considerable hoos- 
ing — dull, sluggish appearance — rumination totally ceased — 
the ears and extremities cold — rigid constipation of the bowels — 
a profuse discharge from the lachrymal glands — pulse indistinct, 
but after venesection became frequent and full, beating 90 in a 
minute — and respiration much accelerated. These combined 
symptoms proved too obstinate at their advanced stages to be 
removed by the most powerful aperients and sedatives that could 
be administered, and the consequence was unavoidably fatal. 
