90 
THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC AMONG CATTLE. 
France, and then to England. The prevailing symptoms in those 
countries were in many instances of a similar character with those 
attendant upon the disease in this country ; but sometimes they 
were considerably more intense and fatal. I believe the disease 
shewed itself with a greater degree of virulence in Holland than 
in any other country. It also seems to have passed over from 
France hither by means of the channel intercourse into the south- 
ern counties, and so along by the western districts, until every 
district has been more or less visited. 
A wet and damp state of atmosphere seems to favour the dis- 
ease, while a clear frost appears to operate reversely. A week’s 
continuance of fine clear frosty weather almost cleared us of the 
nuisance, when a return of moist and warm weather again rapidly 
multiplied new cases. As yet, I have not heard of or seen a 
second attack, neither do I suppose the thing likely to happen. 
That the disease is contagious there is not the least doubt; for 
no sooner has an infected beast been driven near or associated 
with others, than he has speedily shewed symptoms of bodily ail- 
ment. Such instances, if necessary, shall be given; but con- 
sidering them superfluous, I have omitted them altogether. 
I have also known it appear among stock that had had for 
months no visible direct communication with the infected, nor even 
with other cattle, and among others that had never been nearer 
strange stock than been pastured in a road-side field, where 
the infected might probably pass. As soon as the disease made 
its appearance upon a farm, it spread like wildfire over most or 
all of the adjoining ones; and yet, at the same time, there was no 
apparently direct communication with the infected, and which 
were also generally removed, as soon as the disease was observed, 
to a place where the others could not possibly have any access. 
From this, probably, may be deduced a not very unreasonable 
inference ; viz, that in the present case, as in human ills, there 
seems to be an atmospheric agent wafting abroad the effluvia or 
seeds of disease and death. 
I have seen a whole fold of pigs take the disease before it 
was in the least manifested among other stock. The symptoms in 
the pigs were very much the same as with beasts or horned cattle. 
The disease among pigs has not been so very fatal here as more 
northward, where several farmers have lost their whole stock. 
Sheep appear to me to have suffered much more considerably 
than cattle ; but this I attribute to their generally exposed state. 
I have recently heard of a person near York, that lost eleven 
young calves about one day or so after calving ; — of another, who 
lost four ; and a third, who lost six in the same way. All the cows 
had had the disease previous to calving, but had recovered before 
