80 
THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE. 
3. In May. I had, however, one case in March. 
4. Cold, damp, and for the most part windy. 
5. In many instances they had. 
6. No ; except in one or two cases. 
7. No. 
8. It is both infectious and contagious. As to the former, in 
one yard it began with the milch cow, and spread through all 
the stock, save the horses, which I have not yet known to take the 
disease. Now, the bullocks that were here tied up in the house 
could have no communication, but through the air, with the other 
cattle which were in the yard adjoining. 
In the cows, the head was chiefly and alone affected, while in 
the bullocks — tied up — the feet were primarily and throughout 
the seat of the disease. The mouths, however, were sore. I could 
adduce many such instances. It seems that the air does not carry 
the infection to any great distance — at least in all directions. It has 
been very common that cattle on an adjoining farm, separated only 
by a distance of a few rods, escape. One instance I specially 
refer to, where a dozen bullocks, tied up in the house, were at- 
tacked, and within fifty rods were large quantities of stock, and 
not one took the disease till within the last month, constituting an 
interval of six months. The disease has been frequently carried 
from one yard to another by driving cows to bull, on one side or the 
other. Those which are tied, as well as those compelled to travel 
on the road, have generally suffered most with the feet, while 
such as have been running loose in a yard have been rarely so 
affected. 
As to its being contagious, I have little more to say that can 
be considered to bear upon this point, viz., its uniformly spreading 
through all the stock placed within a certain limit ; the uniformity 
of the symptoms developed in those placed in contact with each 
other and in like circumstances ; and, lastly, I would mention that, 
on one or two individuals in this neighbourhood having had their 
hands abraded in salting the mouths of the animals, small pustules 
have formed on the arms and face. I know that these are mere 
inferences, and unsatisfactory ones too; but as I have nothing at 
present more conclusive to present in support of my opinion, I 
must leave it, in the hope that you will obtain from other quarters 
better evidence on the subject. 
9. First ; increased secretion of saliva — vesication on the tongue 
and buccal membrane of the mouth, and, of course, great tenderness 
and consequent inability to eat, or rather, perhaps, fear of eating. 
Hence the animal looks very thin, and is sometimes tucked up from 
constitutional excitement. The coat stares, the eyes are sunk, and 
sometimes (this was more commonly the case in the early part oi 
